The Good Life, The High Life and the After Life
by S.Hagen
Summary: After a tough mission, the Lovely Angels hope to get some much deserved R&R. Unfortunately their fun time comes to an end when they are assigned to protect a wealthy industrialist and her family.
1. Chapter 1

_That which does not kill us must have missed us._  
-Friedrich Nietzsche 

**The Good Life, The High Life and The After Life**  
Shawn Hagen (1993;2005)

**CHAPTER 1**

_It was an excellent plan. Yuri puts on the right clothes, the right attitude and drops about a hundred IQ points. Then she wanders around playing airhead until the slavers nab her. After that she sits tight and waits for the cavalry._

_Problem was Yuri wasn't the type to sit and wait._

-Philasa Drast's 'Guns, Bad Karma and Babes'  
(Unreleased, under litigation, unauthorized, biography of the Lovely Angels.)

There was, on the planet of Taris 4, a city called Motrono. It was a small city, primarily serving the planet's secondary spaceport. It was, for the most part, a quiet city, its inhabitants dealing with unimportant cargoes that came down from orbit. At the time most of its five hundred thousand inhabitants were asleep except for a few thousand shift workers and night people.

Near the bay three black, stealth, dropships hovered in a triangular formation. The flat-black ships were only visible to the naked eye when they moved, and then only because of how they temporarily obscured the stars. Most people would not even have recognized them for what they were.

Powerful ECM equipment rendered them invisible to all but the most powerful sensors. Air traffic controllers had been keeping air traffic away from the sectors the ships had been in all evening. Those controllers did not know why they were required to do such a thing, and then knew they were not likely to find out any time soon.

In the Ops bay of one of the ships sat a woman upon a nylon-web bench. She was surrounded by the men and women of the SSWAT(Superior Special Weapons And Tactics) team, but was obviously apart from them.

Her medium-length, red hair was held from her face with a black ribbon, a similar ribbon had been tied around her slender neck. She wore a pair of v-cut shorts that were silver in colour. Her top was the same colour, as were the calf hugging, knee-high boots she wore. The uniform showed a lot of her creamy gold skin; too much in the opinion of those with conservative tastes and ideology.

Not that Kei was the sort of person to let what other people thought bother her.

She looked around, checking on the activity of the members of the SSWAT team she shared the bay with. Most of them were quiet now, making last checks of their equipment. Not so long ago they had been loud and boisterous, but as time passed most of them had assumed a more professional demeanour.

She brushed her hand across the pistol grip of the heavy, laser pistol she wore in a holster along her right thigh. It was how she had checked her equipment.

Captain Asam, the Ops commander, walked past her. She suspected he had been in the back, making sure the battle frames and cymechs were ready to go. Kei Reached out and grabbed his arm before he could pass.

He looked down at her, in an almost absent way his gaze took in her long legs and the sensuous curves of her body. Kei supposed that the lack of interest he showed had more to do with the things he had on his mind rather than a lack of appreciation for her not inconsiderable charms.

"Yes?" he asked, tone nearly flat.

Kei looked at the man, calm, cool, it seemed he did not have a worry in the world. He was either an unfeeling bastard or a consummate pro. Slightly above average height, in excellent shape, she could feel muscle in the arm she held. His short brown hair was only beginning to grey at the temples; dark blues eyes patiently regarded her as he waited for an answer.

"When?" was all she said.

"It should be any minute."

"I've heard that before and I don't want to hear it again unless it's the truth." There was anger in her quiet tone. She saw Asam's eyes narrow slightly and realised that she was digging her fingers into his arm, probably causing him some pain. She relaxed her grip.

"We are doing our best, no Op ever goes completely to plan," he told her. Kei suspected that there was an unvoiced, 'You should know that.'

"It was your idea," Kei accused, her tone nearly petulant.

"I'm aware of that, thank you." A touch of anger coloured his voice as his composure cracked ever so slightly.

"You will take responsibility," Kei said, it was a statement and not a question.

"Of course."

"If anything happens to Yuri you're dead." Kei let go of his arm and settled back into her seat.

He nodded and left.

Kei stared at his back. Yesterday she and Yuri had been laying bets on who could seduce him first. Now she was thinking about killing him. Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift free, trying to keep her thoughts away from her friend.

* * *

As Asam walked away from Kei he did not let her threat bother him. He understood her; he had lost two partners in his career.

He still was not sure why the trouble consultants had been assigned to him, to the Op really. From what little he had been able to ferret out they were finishing something that might be personal. They wanted the criminal organization they were after brought down. He might find out what their personal stake in it was some other time. At the present he could not afford the time to speculate about it.

The Captain climbed the ladder up to the command section of the drop craft. Coming up behind his com officer, he laid his hand across her shoulder.

"Sir?" She turned to look at him.

"Have you got it yet?"

"We're in the general area, but it's a circle with a diameter of almost five klicks. I'm having trouble pinpointing the signal."

"Why?"

"Interference."

"Are they onto us?"

"No, it looks like it's accidental. Probably due to the structure they're in I'd guess."

"How long?" Asam asked.

"Next pulse should come soon. I'm certain I can get a lock from that one, or the next. Let's say ten minutes, max."

"Too long," he said softly.

"Don't worry Captain." She smiled up at him. "We'll pull the Prima Donna out before any one has time to offend her sensibilities."

Asam shook his head. It was obvious that his com officer did not care much for the trouble consultants. "She's not that bad."

"Maybe my reasons for disliking them, especially Yuri, are petty and childish, but then," she and she smiled again, "so is Yuri."

"Keep that shit quiet, especially around red right now."

"Yes sir."

Asam took his hand from her shoulder and continued forward to the pilot's station. "Mryia make sure your ready to go as soon as we have a location," he said to her as he knelt down beside her chair.

"I'm all ready on it," she told him. "All ships are holding their engines at full readiness. We'll be able to move and move fast on a moments notice."

"Good," Asam said.

* * *

The large room, like so much of the deserted factory, no longer served its original purpose. As to what that original purpose might have been Yuri could not guess, but at the moment the room was an interrogation cell. Her hands were secured to an old shelving bracket above her head. The thin cord chafed at her wrists and her shoulder's hurt. She really hated that kind of thing.

There was an angry red mark on the left side of her face. Her blonde dyed hair was dishevelled, her blouse ripped, but the rents were covered by her jacket for the most part. Her skirt had a tear in it and there were several holes and runs in her stockings.

The man standing in front of her was named Valemar. She had read his file. Tall and wiry, chrome cyber-eyes set in a pale face; he was a distinctive gentleman to say the least, Yuri thought. His head was shorn, showing several input jacks mounted in his skull. He wore tight leather pants and a t-shirt with no sleeves.

"Who are you?" he asked Yuri, not for the first time.

"You have my ID," Yuri sobbed, not for the first time, and tears poured down her face, streaking her mascara.

Valemar backhanded her, hard enough for her teeth to cut into the inside of her cheek. Yuri once again thought of how much she hated that sort of thing as she tasted her blood.

"Not the answer I wanted," he screamed into her face.

What had he been eating, Yuri wondered. She resisted the urge to tell him that she would talk if only he would go gargle for a week with a germicide. You are supposed to be a terrified sixteen-year-old she told herself, act like it. She began to cry even harder.

"Stow your bawling girl or I'll give you something to cry about."

Yuri acted like she was trying to make a valiant and vain attempt to do just that. No one seemed to appreciate it. What kind of heartless bastards were these peoples she asked herself. She knew the answer to that question, of course. They were slavers, among other things.

"Who are you?" he asked once again.

"Ismae Grey. Just like it says on my ID," Yuri sobbed. Hopefully they would believe it this time. She hated being helpless and the beating didn't help much.

Valemar shook his head slowly. Then, with an almost regretful look on his face, he slammed his fist into her stomach.

White light danced in front of Yuri's eyes, breath exploded from her lungs, saliva mixed with blood ran down her chin. Her body arched as much as the bonds would allow.

"Valemar, I'm surprised," the big man who came into the room said, becoming the centre of attention. "You know not to damage the merchandise. Really, I didn't think you went in for this sort of thing." The man's name was Alamon, and ultimately it was his fault that Yuri was in such a situation.

Alamon was a very powerful underworld figure. Yuri and Kei had been assigned to track him down two weeks ago, half a galaxy away. He had acquired some information that was considered very dangerous in the wrong hands. Hence requiring the 3WA to act.

The two trouble consultants had already retrieved the information, and killed or captured most of those who had come in direct contact with it. While it was believed that Alamon had not actually reviewed the information, it had been considered prudent to find the man and capture him, just to be sure.

It had taken them some time to find him. Along the way several thousand people had been killed; not that it had been their fault.

Alamon was a well-built man; however a generous layer of fat covered his muscle and it made him look obese. One might even believe that he was slow and harmless. It was a dangerous thing to think. With his greasy blonde hair-worn long-and his muddy brown eyes, he was not a pleasant sight.

The fact he was referring to her as merchandise did not impress Yuri all that much. She did not have much time for any angry thoughts however. She was too busy trying to force air back into her tortured lungs. It felt as if there was an obstruction in her throat.

"I need her to tell me who she really is."

"Have you tried checking out her ID?" Alamon asked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "Blade does her ID check out?" he asked, turning to a young woman hooked up to a small computer.

"As far as I can tell," she said. "I've gone pretty deep to."

"Well?" Alamon turned his gaze on Valemar. Yuri was having an easier time breathing and was watching to two men carefully. She was hoping that Alamon might leash Valemar. She really did not need to deal with much more of his interrogation.

"She killed three men in the pens," Valemar told him.

So much for that, Yuri thought.

"Really." He turned to look at Yuri more closely. "One might wonder how she hid weapons in clothes that barely hide her."

"She didn't use a weapon, bare hands, well feet for the most part. When I got in there she had just crushed Cansor's trachea with her hand cuffs."

"Isn't it policy to cuff their hands behind them so things like that can't happen?" Alamon asked, a bit of anger in his tone. He was obviously a man who did not like people getting careless.

"They were"  
"Most interesting." Alamon rubbed his chins looking at Yuri very closely. "I suppose we should find out if she really is who she says." He conceded the point to Valemar. "Torture is not really the way to do it, however. And I don't want her being damaged."

"We could sell her to one of our blood game clients, we know she can fight and they won't mind a few scars," a short, rat-like man suggested.

"The best return would come from selling her as a pleasure slave," Alamon said, dismissing the rat's suggestion with a wave of a pudgy hand.

"That would be like selling someone a mountain lion when they asked for a kitten," Valemar said.

"So, I have several clients who would enjoy breaking her."

"You people make me sick," Yuri told them. Perhaps not the best thing to say, but she felt the need to assert herself.

"No doubt, but we are rich," Alamon said nonchalantly as he took a seat close to her. "I'll give your method a little bit longer," he said to Valemar, "continue."

Valemar spun on his heel, hand extended to strike her. The blow split her lower lip.

"Well girl, what do you have to say now?"

Yuri spat a spray of blood and saliva onto his face and shirt. He looked shocked for a second. He reached up and wiped some of the blood off his face. Then he growled and cocked his hand back, obviously forgetting Alamon's earlier warning not to damage her. Yuri recognized a man planning to kill when she saw one.

Yuri dropped all her weight onto her arms, ignoring the pain of the cord cutting into her wrists. She snapped her legs up, jackknifing her body, slamming her heels into the underside of his jaw.

Valemar's body jerked upwards, his feet actually leaving the ground. Yuri was reacting faster than she could thing, hardwired reflexes driving her. Body still folded, she spread her legs and then used her feet to grasp the man's head, holding it tight. As he began to fall she twisted her body again, her bonds twisting above her as she jerked Valemar's body around.

There was a crack as his neck snapped, and his body fell heavily to the floor.  
Yuri pushed herself up, taking the weight off her arms, turning about to face the rest of the room. She could feel blood from her cut wrists trickling down her forearms.

Everyone in the room was silent. Alamon looked at Valemar's body, a curious look of disbelief and anger on his face.

"Get that body out of here," Alamon finally snapped. "Someone tie her legs."

Several men and women rushed to do his bidding.

Yuri fought, though she knew it was useless, and she wanted to get a few licks in while she could. She broke one woman's nose with a kick, doubled a man over when she hit him in the crotch. It didn't help though. In the end they had tied her feet to another shelving bracket.

"Very well," Alamon said, looking at Yuri, "let's see what we can do. Drugs?"

"Already tried them," Blade said. "High dosage, she should not even be awake now."

"So difficult," he said, as he looked Yuri over. "Garman." Alamon's tone was deadly soft and regretful at the same time. "Convince our guest to talk."

A short, stocky man stood. He took a riot club from the floor and approached her. Yuri found herself begging and crying. Most of it was faked. She was terrified, but she didn't let that control her.

"You want to talk?" Garman asked.

"Please don't do this," she said, knowing he would.

"Wrong answer." He slammed the club into her side. Yuri screamed as she felt a rib snap.

* * *

"Captain Asam," the com officer called, looking over her shoulder. 

Asam looked up from what he was doing; snapping ballistic plates onto the armour-cloth body-stocking he wore. He would not be going in with his men as his reflexes had been slowed by age and his presence would therefore be a danger to everyone. Still, stray shots killed as well as directed ones.

"I've got the prima-donna's location pin pointed. Lamar Island." Asam felt the ship turn and accelerate as Mryia acted. "In the deserted factory complex. I called up the file and got the floor plans. Supposedly the place is deserted."

"Good work. Get a map transferred to all section commanders." He walked to the rear of the bridge section, grabbed the ladder, and slid down into the Ops bay.

"All right boys and girls, it's showtime," he yelled. "Lock and load."

A flurry of activity erupted around him as his people made last second preparations. The ramp at the back of the drop ship was beginning to open for launch of the flight capable battle frames and cymechs.

Asam looked at his watch. It was almost thirty minutes later than he had planned to extract Yuri. She should be fine, but he could not help feeling he had sentenced a woman young enough to be his daughter to her death. It was a grim thought. He climbed back up the ladder to the bridge.

* * *

Kei pulled a submachine gun from the weapon rack near her seat. As she pushed a drum magazine into it she thought about Yuri. She pictured her friend, with her hair dyed that stupid shade of blonde, popping bubblegum as she parroted the slang of the local teenagers. Kei had called her an idiot.

She cocked the weapon. "Yuri you better not die on me or I'll never forgive you," Kei said quietly to herself.

* * *

"Want to talk now?" Garman asked, his tone almost civil.

Yuri was not feeling her best. Her lower right arm was broken. Her left eye was swollen shut, she had felt something warm and sticky leaking from the socket earlier. Several more ribs had broken; fortunately she did not think that hey had caused any serious internal damage. On top of that were many welts, bruises, cuts, and abrasions, and she had to go to the bathroom. The silliness of the final thought made Yuri smile.

"You think something's funny bitch." Garman grabbed her chin. She winced as he reopened her split lip but continued to smile in spite of it.

"Oh go to hell you slimy, boneheaded, sad excuse for a sentient being," Yuri said around her swollen lips and the blood in her mouth. She met his gaze with her one good eye and broadened her smile.

"It's useless, she won't talk." Garman said.

"Oh who gives a damn any more," Alamon said, a certain exhaustion in his tone. "Kill her and we'll figure it all out later."

Garman nodded and cocked his arm back. Yuri guessed this next hit was not going to be the taps he had given her before. He looked quite ready to crush her skull.

Her mind seemed to explode into so many directions at once. There were thousands of things she had wanted to do but now never would. The operation had gone sour and she could not expect extraction. She was dead. Then her mind focused fully on Kei. Poor Kei, without me around who is going too keep her out of trouble, Yuri thought.

Then the absurdity of that thought hit her. Kei was sitting safely in one of the drop ships right now. Yuri laughed, ignoring the pain it caused her.

Garman stopped his swing; he looked at Yuri, obviously not understanding what was so funny. He looked back at Alamon. Alamon just shrugged his shoulders and drew a finger across his throat.

Garman nodded and prepared to swing again.

Still laughing she looked right into his eyes. Something from her earlier days at the 3WA training academy on Shimogu came back to her. Live fast, love hard, die young and go with a gun in your hand. It was a motto of young women and men who believed they were immortal. Still, three out of four was not bad though, Yuri decided.

* * *

The drop ships made a full combat landing, coming in fast, cutting their speed at the last moment. They hit the ground hard enough to damage their landing gear. Asam slid down the ladder from the cockpit; his com link was already filled with noise from all the teams. To anyone else it may well have sounded like bedlam, but he heard a symphony. All around him people were moving into their positions.

The flight capable cymechs and battle frames were all ready penetrating the structure. So was Kei.

He had seen her grab a map board, a locator and a flight harness. Then she had gone out the ramp with the air assault section. He had not even thought about stopping her.

"Mryia," he said, switching his com frequency over to air tactical, "get these birds in the air. On my go signal flame the two bridges leading to this island."

"Don't you think that is a little extreme sir?" she asked, but her drop ship was all ready taking to the air, the other two following.

"Yes, but do it anyway and any aircraft not emitting a friendly signal are to be considered enemy, take them out."

"Yes sir," Mryia said her tone professional. Asam was certain she was smiling.

He switched back to ground tactical frequency and began giving his orders.

* * *

Yuri watched as Garman raised the club above his head. He shifted his grip on it and then began to bring it down. She forced herself to keep her eyes open. If she was going to die she wanted to see it. Then Garman's skull seemed to explode. Yuri was uncertain what had happened, but before she could give it any serious thought she was falling.

For some indeterminate time Yuri lay sprawled on the floor in a daze. It was probably only seconds, but for all she could tell it might have been an eternity. Then the screams brought her back. She could hear gunfire as well. It was far off, but getting closer.

She pulled her wrists apart--trying to ignore the pain from broken bones grating together--and the cord came loose. It looked as if it had been burnt. The result of some very close shooting. It had Kei written all over it. She thrust her legs apart and the cord around her ankles unwound just as easily.

Someone was running at her, or towards her, Yuri was not certain. She grabbed the riot club Garman had dropped, twisted about, and slammed the club into a woman. The woman fell and Yuri was on her back in a second, driving the handle of the club against the woman's skull.

She had to keep herself from hitting the woman again. It was not the time to give into the anger. She could save that for later.

Out of the corner of her eye Yuri saw Alamon knock an old cabinet over and exit through the doorway revealed. Yanking the assault rifle out of the woman's hand Yuri pushed herself up and set off after the man, revenge dominating her thoughts. She had no time for pain though she didn't doubt she had to clear a reasonable portion of her calendar for it later.

It was not easy to keep up with him, but fortunately there were not many places he could go. The corridor was almost straight with few cross-corridors. He went down several flights of stairs, Yuri following as fast as she could push her abused body. She knew she was not really in the shape to be doing it, but she had a stubborn streak.

Time passed and Yuri felt as if she was on her tenth wind. She was having trouble breathing. Please don't let lung be punctured, she thought. Her adrenaline high was gone; she had trouble believing it had ever existed.

Then she saw Alamon ahead of her, standing in front of a set of elevator doors.

"Freeze or your dead," she yelled even as she pulled the trigger. Her first shots went wide, slamming into the wall.

Alamon spun and fired, one of his rounds grazing Yuri's arm. Deciding that short bursts were not going to work in her current condition Yuri instead held the trigger down and simply sprayed the area.  
She caught him first across his knees, almost taking his lower legs from the rest of his body. He conveniently pitched forward into her reverse swing. The hollow points chopped away at his head and chest. Messy, but very gratifying.

The bolt locked back when the magazine emptied. She let go of the rifle and it clattered loudly on the floor.

Yuri turned slowly and began to walk back the way she had come. What a lousy day, she thought. "I need a drink." She began to giggle and suspected that was not a good sign.

"Yuri!" a familiar voice called out.

Yuri looked up and saw Kei running towards her. Kei held something in her hand that Yuri guessed was a tracking device. "Kei," Yuri called out, or tried to. Her voice sounded weak in her ears.

Kei ran to Yuri and threw her arms around her friend. "Yuri," she cried, hugging her tightly. Yuri did not let the pain that caused bother her, just happy to see Kei. "Don't you ever do this to me again," Kei said fiercely.

Kei released her after a moment and stepped back to look at Yuri. The smile was instantly gone from her face.

"Those bastards," Kei snarled. "I'll kill them."

"I'm all right," Yuri lied. "And the bastards are all already dead, for the most part."

"Your not all right," Kei told her. "You look like you've been through a shredder." Kei touched her com link and switched to medical frequency. "This is tri whisky alpha. I want air medevac on my signal and I want it yesterday!" Kei turned the receiver off so she would not have to listen to someone berate her for improper radio procedures.

"Come on." Kei helped Yuri to the elevator. "I'm pretty sure this will take us up to the surface of the island, if the plans are still current."

The doors of the elevator stood open. Kei helped Yuri over the body of Alamon into the elevator.

"I swear if there's not a hospital ship waiting for us I'm going to rip Asam, and anyone else I can lay my hands on, into bloody chunks," Kei growled.

Yuri began to giggle again. It was a mixture of shock, hysteria, relief and the humour she found in Kei's over uncharacteristic protectiveness.

Kei looked down at Alamon's body as the doors began to close.

"So much for bringing him in alive," Kei said.

"Oops." Yuri said, and then she passed out. Kei grabbed her before she hit the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

_"Dr. Gravst was really giving Kei a hard time today about all the classes she had cut. The same ones I had cut as well, but I am passing after all. Well Kei decided to be obnoxious (as usual). She told her, the prof, that she, Kei, was hypolevetic and if she doesn't have fun at least once a day she'll go into a boredom coma and die."_

_"Needless to say the good Doctor wasn't impressed. I think I still have the password for Dr. Gravst's computer system. It looks like I'll have to alter Kei's grades. Again."_

-An excerpt from Yuri's journal (Age 16)

The music was too loud but if it had a saving grace then that was that it was actually good. Yuri did not so much mind loud music but could not abide loud and bad.

She pushed her way through the crowd of rock enthusiasts that filled the concert hall. Her leather miniskirt, fishnet stockings, stiletto heels and leather jacket could actually be considered conservative compared to what some of the other people were wearing.

On the back of her jacket was a flaming skull in side view, with a pair of fiery wings coming out the back. It was the symbol of the United Galactica tactical aerospace squadrons. On the left shoulder was a patch of skeletal hand holding five aces, each with a 36 on it. Written underneath the hand were the words 'Circumvenio Nothusi'. Yuri had been told it was a Latin phrase meaning 'Cheating Bastards'.

She had won the jacket in a poker game. Kei had won an aerospace fighter-bomber after beating a straight flush with a royal flush. And the thirty-sixth called themselves cheating bastards.

As well as her leather themed ensemble, Yuri had a patch over her left eye socket.

A 3WA medical ship had arrived in orbit above Taris 4 not too long after Kei had pulled her out of the slavers' den. 3WA med techs were among the best in the galaxy, they had to be. It was tribute to them, medical technology, and the Luciren genetic program that she was back on her feet only a week later. Except for a few bruises there were almost no outward signs of what had happened. Except for her missing eye.

The doctors had decided it was not worth the time to save the eye. Yuri had been told that even if they had there would have been a sixty two percent loss in acuity and a twelve degree decrease in peripheral vision.

Yuri had talked to one of the cybernetic specialists on board and he had told her that replacing only one eye was usually trouble and it was better to do the pair. Then he had started making all kinds of suggestions of other modifications that might be done. He had almost been drooling. It had been a little creepy.

In the end Yuri had decided to stay with what she knew worked. The techs had pulled some of her DNA samples and were growing her a new eye for transplant. She looked forward to getting her depth perception back.

As for the other injuries, her right arm still hurt a little and the doctors had told her to go easy on it until the bone matrix had fully healed. Yuri was glad she had been able to remove the cast a few days before.

She was getting near an open aisle when she felt someone grab the back of her thigh. Yuri jumped away, as much as the crowd would let her, and then spun around to face whoever had groped her. She found herself staring at a young man who looked to be highly inebriated. He gave her a drunken, lopsided smile.

Yuri was about to launch into her speech about keeping one's hands to themselves and about respecting women. Before she could do so he reached forward, grabbed her skirt, and started pushing it up. She lifted her knee and brought it into sharp contact with the underside of his jaw. She winced in sympathetic pain as he flipped over backwards, a trail of blood, from his nose, in the air. That had to hurt, she thought.

She turned away smiling. It was nice to know the beating and loosing one of her eyes had not affected her too much.

Yuri and Kei had decided to spend their off time on Beronvus, mainly because it had been so highly recommended. Yuri was on sick leave until her eye was replaced, and Kei was getting a free ride, as it were.

Along with a number credit vouchers, the 3WA had given them another number of nice things, such as the tickets to the concert and back stage passes for afterwards. All they had asked was that the two trouble consultants stay out of trouble.

Yuri pushed her way through a crowd of people standing in front of the gate that led to the good seats. Yuri showed the woman at the gate her ticket and was let through.

Kei was standing on her front-row, centre seat and screaming obscenities at the warm up band. Typical rock concert behaviour, Yuri noted.

The red head was wearing tight black leather pants, high-heeled boots and a lacy black camisole. Again, almost conservative compared to what others attendees were wearing.

Yuri took the seat beside Kei, grabbing the red head's belt to pull her down.

"Show a little tact," Yuri said.

"Stop being such a wet blanket." Kei tossed her head back to get her hair out of her eyes. "Do you see anyone else showing any tact?"

"Maybe we could set a precedent."

"No thanks." Kei got back up on her seat and once more began yelling at the warm up band.

Later, when the warm up band had left the stage and the roadies were setting up for the main act, Kei dropped back into her seat.

"You packing anything?" Kei asked.

"We were searched before we came in here, you do know what that means?" Yuri said with a tone of excessive patience.

"Yeah, you had to carry something small."

"Slim line derringer."

"Perfect. A weapon with lousy accuracy carried by a one eyed woman. I'm standing behind you if anything happens."

"Thanks a lot," Yuri said sulkily.

"Any time." Kei's tone was bright.

Yuri did not have long to sulk. The headlining band, 'Sugar Coma', ran onto the stage and picked up their instruments to the roar of the crowd. A moment later the guitar player had jacked into her instrument and was belting out the opening rift to the band's latest hit.

Yuri was caught up in the music as quickly as anyone else. It was wonderfully complex for speed punk, and the musicians actually knew how to play their instruments. Not only that, they actually knew how to play them well.

By the time that the band launched into its sixth song Yuri had forgotten that she had been upset earlier. That was when a tall and very stout woman, dressed in motorcycle leathers, ran in front of Yuri and Kei and started screaming basic concert endearments at the band.

Kei stood up, grabbed the woman's shoulder, and spun her around.

"Push off," Kei told her. "You're blocking my view."

"Stuff it you little tart or I'll tear your arms off," the woman snarled, and started to turn away from Kei.

"I'm supposed to be scared of an overgrown social delinquent like you?" Kei asked, restraining the woman.

"Ladies." Yuri stood up and interposed herself between Kei and the woman, facing the woman. Yuri didn't really want Kei to get into a fight. They were supposed to be on their best behaviour. She also did not like the way the lead singer had been eyeing the little altercation. Yuri was not about to give him the satisfaction of seeing a cat fight. All she had to do was diffuse the situation for a minute or two and security would clear everything up.

"Let's not be barbarians." Yuri smiled at the woman.

The woman looked Yuri up and down quickly. There was a sense of disdain in her face and her body language, as if Yuri hardly mattered. Still, the woman seemed willing to take advantage of Yuri's blind side, hitting her with an uppercut that took Yuri almost completely by surprise. She only had time to jerk back slightly before the woman's knuckles grazed the side of her face hard enough to bloody her nose.

I think the cow broke my nose, Yuri thought. She shook her head to clear it and then looked up at the woman.

The woman looked down at Yuri, apparently surprised that she was still on her feet. "Now you did it," Kei said from behind her, and se could feel Kei stepping away.

"At least there are no cameras allowed in here," Yuri said in a resigned tone.

Had the woman had any idea of whom she was dealing with it might have given her some warning.

Yuri shifted back and then kicked the woman, driving her foot into her stomach. As the big woman folded over, breath exploding from her, Yuri drew back her leg, then lashed out again, shattering one of the woman's kneecaps. She stepped back and fired off a spin kick that took the falling woman in the head.

The woman fell senseless to the floor.

"Nice moves," Kei said, "Been watching kung fu vids again I see."

"Skill and natural ability," Yuri told her.

"Good then you won't need my help to handle her friends." Kei indicated several men and women, who were dressed much like the unconscious woman at Yuri's feet, heading towards them.

"Oh well." Yuri sighed as the first of the attackers reached her. Then she blocked the first man's punch and broke his arm.

Security arrived just in time to stop a riot from starting. They had help from the band who played some calmer sets to relax everyone afterwards. The people who had attacked Kei in Yuri were in no state to disagree with the story the two trouble consultants told. That Kei and Yuri also had back stage passes swung favour in their direction. They were soon sitting back in their seats while their attackers were tossed out of the concert hall.

* * *

"I liked the way you two handled yourself." Dennis, the lead singer of Sugar Coma, told Kei. They were backstage, around them the rest of the band and other people enjoying the after-show party. 

"Thanks." Kei took a drink of her rye and coke.

"You two wouldn't be looking for work would you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Two beautiful girls who fight like you do? I'd be stupid not to ask."

"Thanks, but not interested," Kei told him as she leapt up too sit atop the grand piano.

"You're sure? I could make it worth your time?" He smiled widely.

"Doubtful."

"I had to try," he said, looking down her top.

"And I had to shoot you down," Kei told him.

Dennis shrugged his shoulders and started playing the piano. He launched into a love song. Kei found it all rather endearing.

* * *

The band's doctor put his med scanner away in his coat pocket. He was shorter than average and balding but somehow it looked good on him. Not quite handsome; his nose was a bit too big and his eyes seemed to be squinting all the time. 

"Your nose isn't broken, close mind you but still no bone damage. The swelling should be going down even now," he told Yuri.

"Thanks." Yuri was holding a cold pack over her nose. She slid off the examination table.

"How long ago were you involved in that accident?" the doctor asked.

"Pardon?" Yuri picked up her jacket and began putting it on.

"You have a lot of old injuries, all of them are healing nicely, must have been what, two months ago?"

"About that," Yuri lied. Healing fast was a basic requirement for a trouble consultant.

"So what happened?"

"Slammed my ground effects racer into a track pylon at almost two hundred klicks," she lied again. It was better then the truth at the moment.

"Well perhaps I can show you a thrill that will keep you away from such a dangerous past time," he said slyly as he expertly backed her against a wall, his hands on either side of her shoulders, holding her there. Not a bad opening, Yuri thought.

His smile was that of a predator. Being the physician for rock band may not have been the most respectable position but he probably enjoyed a number of fringe benefits, such as the young women. Yuri decided that she did not like him at all.

"Can I tell you something?" Yuri asked softly, almost hesitantly.

"Of course." He leaned close and brushed his lips across hers.

"It's sort of a secret." Yuri leaned forward and put her lips to his ear. "I'm not caressing you," she whispered. "This is a slim line derringer that has been pressed into your groin. Let me go or I scream rape as I emasculate you in a very, messy way." Her voice was smooth.

* * *

The evening was cold. Except for a region four hundred kilometres on either side of the equatorial line, Beronvus was covered in glaciers. Cities in the equatorial region were often built in valleys for protection against the winds. In the day it was quite warm but at night the glaciers reminded everyone of their presences, even Termma city, which sat right on the equator. 

Kei shivered slightly and wrapped the jacket the bassist had given her tighter around her shoulders.

"I'm bored," Yuri said as she traced her fingers through the cold water of the fountain. They sat on the stone rim of the basin, above them soared a spire through which the water was pumped into the air.

"Too bad the party ended so fast."

"You'd think those vice cops would have something better to do."

"Yea I guess," Kei said. "Hey, why was that doctor giving you the major cold shoulder?"

"Oh him." Yuri smiled. "He thought I would be 'ever so thankful'," Yuri said in a high-pitched voice, like that of a little girl. "For the simple fact he told me my nose wasn't broken. He got more than a little fresh but I convinced him that it wasn't a good idea."

"Stick a weapon into his crotch and threaten to castrate him did you?"

"It was that or politely ask him that he respect my wishes. Had he been a gentleman I might have chosen the later."

"Are you trying to make certain everyone thinks you are a man-hating lesbian"  
"Just the ugly people."

"Good luck with that."

"Thank you," Yuri said, taking her hand out of the cold water.

"Should we go back to the hotel?"

"It's not even midnight, or is it? I forget this planet's time cycle. Anyways the night is still young."

"Well I've heard of a after hours jazz club with a few nice pool tables," Kei said.

"Sounds nice," Yuri said as she stood up. "By the way, why aren't you spending the evening with Dennis?"

"Oh he offered." Kei stood. "But he expected me to share him with his back up singers and any other woman who caught his interest. He had a rather inflated opinion of himself."

"Come on." Yuri shivered in the cold. "Let's go somewhere warm. I'm freezing."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

_People are often surprised to discover that many of the agreements and deals that have a great effect on many others are all too often made in dimly lit bars and restaurants._  
-Varman Rouge's 'Mega Corporations and Governments. The Slime Chase.'

Alpha Centauri III had been one of the very first planets to be colonized by Terrans, using one of the first warp drives, back when such drives had had a nasty habit of occasionally destroying the ship using them.

It had been a grand dream to build a civilization using all that had been learned from the past mistakes made on Earth.

They had learned well and their mistakes were therefore much grander than any of the ones Earth had boasted of.

It was a dirty planet with crowded cities, undeveloped farmland, high crime rates and few useful industries to boast of, and one of those was organized crime.

The city of New Toronto was one of those cities that was primarily based around organized crime. It also had a large number of five star restaurants and very nice bars, all controlled by the Yakuza. If one was brave, or perhaps foolish, enough, or if they had enough bodyguards, they could enjoy possibly the finest dining in all of UG space.

Bann Takmal placed his utensils across the fine bone china plate. He wiped his mouth with his napkin, smiling. The 3WA liaison officer had found the meal particularly enjoyable. His lovely dinner companion could not say the same.

Catherine Sato was with United Galactica Intelligence. Usually when she and Bann met it was he who had to do the cajoling and buy the dinner, but not this time. She needed a big favour from him, or more to the point, from 3WA. It was obvious to Bann that she was not impressed with the current situation.

"Thank you for the most delicious meal." Bann smiled.

"Stop your gloating Bann, it's unbecoming," Catherine said tartly. "Miss Jiinas needs help. Help that only your organization can provide."

"Why can't you do it? I mean, UG intelligence has its own resources, resources that should be more than up to this."

"We'd rather not be directly involved," Catherine said hesitantly.

"Neither would we," Bann told her.

"Well we can't get involved. We are having enough trouble with all the damn Mega Corporations as it is. If we help the owner of one directly it will cause all kinds of problems. At this point we can not afford to take sides, not until the United Galactica is in a greater position of strength."

"So you want 3WA to do your dirty work for you. You know as well as I do 3WA was formed as an answer to threats that could threaten the entire United Galactica. While I sympathize with Miss Jiinas I can not authorize 3WA trouble consultants for use as bodyguards."

"Tamikia Jiinas is a very powerful woman. She has connections throughout the business community as well as the governments of many planets. Do you realize how much of a danger that represents if it were in the hands of a person with a less favourable opinion of the United Galactica? And it will not be the first time that you've involved yourself in this sort of thing. There was all that stuff with Dragon Industries a few months ago."

"That was different."

"Sure it was."

Bann leaned back in his chair. "Okay. You don't actually know if Miss Jiinas is in trouble. So what you really want me to do is to authorize trouble consultants to provide protection on a hypothetical basis?"

"More or less," Catherine said.

"I'm not really convinced, but I will run a check to see if any trouble consultants can be spared. Even if they are assigned to Miss Jiinas we'll probably pull them out after a short time. Unless of course we find something that does indeed represent a credible threat."

He pulled a computer from his briefcase and plugged the interface cable into the neural socket at his left temple. He had no real need to run the check. 3WA had been keeping an eye on Tamikia Jiinas for quite a while. The Central Computer had been suggesting a 3WA investigation for almost a month. He was not about to let Catherine know that.

A few days ago he had had travel suggest Beronvas to the Lovely Angels as a nice place for a rest. Throwing in a refit for their ship at the planet's shipyards had ensured they would go. Costly, but worth it.

Bann worked on his tax returns for almost ten minutes before looking up at Catherine.

"You're very lucky, as is Miss Jiinas. We have two trouble consultants who are available, on Beronvas no less, which if I recall is where she is residing at this time. Unfortunately one is currently convalescing. It would be against my better judgement to activate them at this time."

Catherine had frowned slightly when Bann had told her that there were already consultants on Beronvas. She smiled warmly. "Bann, you know I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't important, and I hate the idea of making you activate a hurt operative, but this is very important."

Bann stared at his computer keyboard for a minute, looking as if he was in deep thought. He was actually trying hard not to smile. Being one up on the intelligence agent was a rare occurrence for him.

"Okay. I'm still not sure there is a problem but you seem to think there is. I'll have one of our courier ships make the run and deliver the messages, more secure then FTL communication." He winked at her.

It only took him a few seconds to uplink with the courier ship that sat in high orbit awaiting his go signal. Once done everything went forward without his assistance. He turned his attention back to his taxes and spent several more minutes on them.

"Okay, that's taken care of." He pulled the interface cable from his neural jack. "The Angels will be on the case in about seven hours."

"The Lovely Angels, the Pair!" Catherine said, sounding horrified. "I wanted you to protect Tamikia, not get to her first."

"Chill." He smiled. "You should know that most of the things the press reports is just hype. They've never failed to solve a case." He put his computer back into the briefcase.

"I have a very bad feeling about all this," Catherine told him.

"Such is life." He stood and moved around the table to pull the chair back for her. "Let's go."

The intelligence agent tossed a handful of universal credits on the table to cover the tip. She preceded Bann out to the cloakroom and then into the well lit and protected parking lot.

Now that he had finished with all the games Bann found his eyes drawn to Catherine's rather attractive figure. Dealing with the pretty agent was one of the more pleasant aspects of his job.

"What are you doing tonight Catherine?"

"Why?" She pulled on her leather jacket.

"Like to spend the night together?"

"Maybe." She straddled her motorcycle; her skirt rode up her legs. Bann did his best not to stare. "You're not planning on leaving halfway through after getting me all fired up are you?" She arched an eyebrow.

"That wasn't my fault, I didn't want to leave," he protested.

"Well do you think that practical, little car of yours can keep up with my baby?" She laid a hand across the gas tank of her red racing bike.

"You'd be surprised." He smiled.

"The next shuttle for the ship I'm on leaves in about thirty minutes. If you're on board it..." she trailed off suggestively.

"Sounds fair."

"See you there." She pressed her cycle's starter and raced out of the parking lot, her hair streaming out behind her. Catherine did not believe in helmets. It was a bit of suicidal stupidity that Bann found so charming.

He tossed his briefcase into his car and jumped in after it. He was moving at a good pace before the car's door was even fully closed. His only real worry was what medical was going to do to him when they found out he had taken Yuri off the injured list.

He would worry about it tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

_"You can't always get what you want."_

-Rolling Stones, song lyric late twentieth century.

"Is that my blouse?" Yuri asked as she brushed out her hair.

"Might be, it is a little tight around the chest," Kei told her.

"And around waist as well no doubt."

"My, that was a rather catty remark."

"You should know." Yuri looked around the room for her purse.

"What about breakfast?" Kei took a seat on the foot of her bed.

"I don't care, anywhere you want. I'll pay."

"You'd better, considering how much money you hustled off those guys last night."

"They really fell for the, 'I don't know which end of a pool stick to use' act, didn't they?"

"The vacant look in your eyes and that mindless giggle helped a lot," Kei told her. "Where did you learn those bank shots?"

"Some old vid."

"How about the place across the street?"

"For breakfast?" Yuri slid the purse strap over her shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Sounds good to me."

"Then let's go." Kei stood.

* * *

"Nose still bothering you?" Kei asked as she wiped her mouth with a serviette. 

"Just a little. I suppose it will teach me not to get involved in your fights."

"Are you possibly suggesting I need your help?"

"No, but it may very well be true." Yuri dabbed the corners of her mouth with her serviette.

"Oh sure," Kei snorted.

"I suppose you could watch your own back from now on?"

"It might be safer."

"For who?"

"Yuri, you do realize that continuing this conversation may be hazardous to your health?"

"Oh I'm so scared." Yuri's expression and tone were deadpan.

"I'll give you reason to be scared," Kei stated.

"You would attack a blind person?"

"Only half blind, and as soon as the med techs put your new eye in I'll..."

"Beat the hell out of me?" Yuri suggested.

"Well I was thinking more on the lines of short-sheeting your bed, but if you're into pain..."

"Careful Kei."

"What do you want to do today anyway?"

"I don't know, rent a plane and see the glacier fields?"

"Sounds sort of boring."

"Why don't we just be spontaneous? Something interesting will happen, it always does." Yuri pushed her chair back.

"Excuse me," an attractive, middle-aged woman said as she approached their table. "You would be the Lovely Angels, correct?"

Kei and Yuri made a quick examination of the woman. She was average height, slim, dark brown eyes, blonde hair, conservatively dressed in a skirt, blouse and jacket. About two meters behind her were a man and a woman. Their presence screamed 'bodyguards' to the trouble consultants.

"Maybe," Kei said, unsure about the woman.

"Yes," Yuri admitted, hoping it was the right thing to do.

"I'm Tamikia Jiinas. Over the past months several kidnapping attempts have been made on my family and myself and recently there have been a few attempts on my life. I need your help."

"Uh huh," Kei said dubiously. "Perhaps you haven't realized, we're 3WA not mercenaries, we can't be hired. There's also the fact we are not babysitters. Perhaps Miss Jiinas you should go to the planetary authorities with your problems. In other words, push off."

Tamikia shook her head, a smile on her face. She placed a briefcase on the table and opened it. Slowly, as not to make the trouble consultants nervous, she removed several sealed envelopes. All bore 3WA markings.

"This is for you." She handed one of the envelopes to Yuri.

Yuri inspected it, making sure the seal had not been broken, then she opened it. There was a single courier chip, a card shaped piece of plastic about the size of her palm. It was marked with the 3WA logo. Yuri placed the chip on the table in front of her and then reached into her purse for a chip reader.

Kei looked on as Yuri slid the chip into the reader. Several seconds passed as the reader and the chip compared and interlocked encryption/decryption protocols. A few seconds later a green light flashed on the reader.

"It's authentic," Yuri said as she pulled an interface cable from the reader and plugged it into the neural interface jack behind her right ear. She closed her eyes as she read the information on the chip, her eyes moving behind her eyelids. "Apparently I've been taken off the injured list. We are reactivated."

"That's ridiculous." Kei slammed her hand against the table. She looked up at Tamikia. Tamikia picked up another envelope and presented it to Kei.

Kei scowled as she broke the seal and pulled out courier chip. Reaching across the table Kei grabbed the reader from Yuri, pulling the interface cable free as she snatched it away. Yuri shook her head and frowned. "I wish you'd stop doing things like that."

Kei ignored Yuri and ejected the courier chip from the reader and slid the new one into it. A few seconds later the green light flashed on it. Kei plugged the interface cable into her interface jack. She did not close her eyes as she read the chip's message. Finally she pulled the cable free and dropped the reader to the tabletop. "Well it seems we have been assigned to one Tamikia Jiinas's case. From the description given, this is she." Kei nodded at Tamikia.

"One more thing." Tamikia picked up the last envelope and handed it to Yuri.

Yuri tore it open and found a single piece of paper instead of a chip. Intrigued, she pulled the page free and unfolded it. She read through it, and then re-read it, just to be certain that she had not missed anything

"What does it say?" Kei asked.

"That we are supposed to be on our best behaviour and give Miss Jiinas our full cooperation. Basically to be good and play nicely. There are also a few veiled threats and the signatures on it are pretty high up, Goulet and others."

"Let me see." Kei took the paper from Yuri. "I don't know," she said after several seconds, "we can forge most of these ourselves."

"The two chips are authentic. So we are working on her case."

"I'm right here," Tamikia said.

"Can't we protest this or something?" Kei asked, ignoring Tamikia. "You're not finished convalescing, no matter how much speed heal is floating around in your blood, and that eye should be replaced."

"We could protest it, but I don't think it would be worth the trouble it would cause. We might as well do it, hopefully it will be a slack mission."

"I suppose," Kei conceded.

"I think we can cancel any plans we thought to make."

"You were right though, something did come up."

"Unfortunately."

"Well Miss Jiinas..." Kei said, turning to Tamikia.

"Tamikia please."

"Well Tamikia just let us get our luggage together and we can leave," Kei told her.

"No need. I've all ready had your belongings removed from your hotel room and sent to my mansion."

"Efficient, and rude," Yuri said. "I'm going to look forward to working with you." Her tone was sarcastic.

"I thought you would appreciate the efficiency," Tamikia said, apparently not concerned with Yuri's complaint.

"Come on Yuri." Kei stood. "Not much we can do about it now."

"I just hope none of my underwear goes missing this time," Yuri said quietly as she dug a hand full of crumpled currency from her purse and tossed it onto the table.

"We'll have to stop off at the Drackon ship yards," Kei told Tamikia.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I said we have to," Kei told her. "What we have to do, however, is to pick up a friend."

"Very well," Tamikia said. She did not sound pleased.

Tamikia led them out of the restaurant--the bodyguards fell in behind them--to a black Rolls Royce parked just outside the doors. As they had exited the restaurant the female bodyguard had removed a small remote from her jacket pocket, and started the car with it.

The male bodyguard opened the door to the passenger compartment while his partner circled around to the driver's door.

"Nice car," Kei said.

"Thank you." Tamikia entered the car.

"They still make these?" Yuri asked as she got in, following after Kei.

"Only about fifty a year. Rolls Royce is dedicated to warp drives these days. I believe that they only make the cars for tradition," Tamikia told them. "Candice, take us to the shipyards please," she said into the car's intercom.

"We'll need information on your security system," Yuri told her.

"These computers," Tamikia indicated the two computers on the seat beside her, "contain all the information you will need."

Kei picked up the computers and then handed one to Yuri.

"I'll handle personnel and equipment, you take the security system," Kei said.

"Fine." Yuri unwrapped an interface cord and plugged herself into the computer. Kei followed Yuri's example.

* * *

As the two women worked Tamikia watched them. They seemed engrossed in the work they were doing and were not paying any attention to her. Or at least she did not think they were paying attention to her.

Their actions when she had first met them had worried her. It was obvious that they had not wanted the job. If they were professionals, and she believed they were, that should not be a problem. Still, a little more enthusiasm would have been nice.

The Dirty Pair, she thought, watching them. Of course she would not use that title in front of them. It would be hard not to think it every time she looked at them. They were supposed to be protecting her. When she had learned a few hours earlier that 3WA had assigned them to her she had been worried.

They were not quite what she had expected. The two were dressed much more modestly then she would have thought. They did not seem to be armed. There was a quiet sense of professionalism about them. She did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

Perhaps she should have hired someone instead of petitioning for help from the United Galactica. The problem was that she did not think she could trust anyone she might hire. She could not trust purchased loyalty, not now.

The Dirty Pair might not be entirely pleased to be assigned to her case, but at least she could trust that they could not be bought.

Tamikia watched them work, interested in the differences between them. Kei was using the keyboard interface to access the information she wanted, fingers tapping at keys. Yuri gave herself fully over to the computer, eyes closed, not touching the keys.

The passenger compartment was quiet, no one saying anything until the car finally stopped. "We're here." Tamikia told them.

"Pardon?" Kei looked up from her work.

"The ship yards."

"Oh." Kei pulled the interface cable from the jack behind her ear. "I'll be back in a minute." She opened the car door and slid out, closing it behind her. Yuri did not even seem to notice. She appeared deeply engrossed in her work.

A few minutes later the car door opened again. Instead of Kei a large, black feline leapt into the car. Tamikia might have screamed if not for the fact that Yuri took a second to scratch the cat behind its ears and then push its head off her lap.

Kei slid in after, taking up her computer after she had closed the door.

"Don't mind Mughi," Kei told her. "He's rather harmless."

"Are you sure?" Tamikia inched back.

"I'd bet your life on it." Kei said as she plugged the interface cable back into her neural socket.

"I feel so much better." Tamikia said sarcastically. She looked at the big cat and licked her lips nervously. "Can I get you something, a drink or a small mammal?"

Mughi yawned.

"Home," she called the driver.

* * *

Kei finished her work and toggled the computer off. She tugged the interface cable from behind her ear and let it fall across her legs. She rubbed at her temples for a moment to ease a small discomfort. Sims, computers, she hated having to plug her head into anything, except weapon systems. The psytechs had told her it was psychosomatic, Kei had told them where they could put their theories. 

"Would you like something to drink?" Tamikia asked.

"No thanks." Kei reached down and removed a small data chip from the computer. "This contains all my recommendations but I'll give you the basics now." She handed the chip to Tamikia.

"That was fast." Tamikia took the chip.

"I'm good. First of all you will need about two hundred more security people, so we can set up a proper defensive perimeter. They don't have to be anything special, just trained well enough to do what they are told. Make sure you can trust them."

"No problem. I have several installations on this planet; I can pull personnel from them. I can trust them as much as anyone."

"And how much is that?"

"Not as much as I would like, but enough for your purposes, I think."

"Good enough. Now I think you could use some armour. Tanks, or better yet heavy battle-frames," Kei said hopefully.

"I can get the battle-frames. How many?"

"Let's say fifty heavy ground based models and twenty five that are flight capable. And we'll need support crew."

"You'll have them in about six hours," Tamikia told her.

"You can do that?" Kei was truly surprised. She was asking for more than she needed in hopes she would get the numbers she actually felt would be able to do the job.

"I own several arms companies right out and have stock in quite a few others. Getting weapons won't be a problem."

"Good. Your biggest problem now is that you're too open to air strikes. I think twenty SAM launchers will take care of that. We'll also set up thirty AA batteries around your house to take care of anything that makes it past the missiles."

"Any particular missile in mind?"

"No, they're all similar enough for our purposes." Kei was pleased, but a little surprised, at how easy Tamikia was taking her suggestions.

"Any thing else?"

"Arm any of your household staff you can trust and who know how to handle a weapon. Make them think they are the only one with a weapon just in case you have an information leak. What do you carry?"

"Carry?"

"Weapons," Kei said.

"Nothing. That's why I have hired body guards."

"Wrong answer. You know how to fire them?"

"Yes."

"Good, we'll find you something then. How about you kids?"

"I'd rather not be arming my children."

"Tough."

Tamikia sighed. "I suppose we could give Catherine something. She's responsible and a capable shot, at least on the target range."

"All right. Like I said, the rest of my recommendations are on that chip. Put them into effect as soon as possible. If I think of anything else I'll tell you." Kei leaned back into the seat.

"I'm sorry I ruined your vacation," Tamikia said.

"Don't be. Things like this do tend to happen. It just would have been nice if they had put Yuri's new eye in."

"What?" Yuri asked, looking up from her work.

"Just telling Tamikia about you fetish for rubber undergarments." Kei smiled.

"Uh huh." Yuri went back to her work.

"I hate it when she does that." Kei shook her head.

"What?" Tamikia asked.

"Tunes me out like that. She's especially good at it when she is plugged into a computer."

"Some of my computer specialists are like that," Tamikia said.

"Pet hackers?" Kei asked.

"I prefer to think of them as somewhat tame."

"You know I often think Yuri was lucky she got into 3WA. If she hadn't she'd have probably been arrested for computer crimes." Kei thought about it for several seconds. "Well maybe not arrested, but she'd certainly be wanted for them."

"She still breaks ice doesn't she?"

"Mostly on cases but occasionally for a bit of fun and to keep her reflexes up. I think its sort of sad but she's a bit of a wallflower." Kei smiled.

"Many of my companies have a lot of trouble with people like that."

"Well its not like Yuri steals any thing or dumps viruses," Kei said in defence of her friend.

"Thanks for defending my honour." Yuri shut off the computer.

"Nice to have you back. What do you think?" Kei asked.

"There's not much I can think of that would make the security system better. It's on the cutting edge. I suppose we could rig up some panic buttons, disguise them as jewellery and tune them to our coms system." Yuri closed the computer. "Just busy work kind of stuff."

"Sounds good," Kei said.

"What sort of computer do you have running things? That information wasn't included." Yuri shifted her attention to Tamikia.

"A Heckler and Kotch 5000D," she told Yuri.

"That would explain it. A properly programmed 5C could take care of you better then many of the things we could suggest, and a 5D..."Yuri shook her head. "I didn't even know they were out on the market yet."

"They're not, but I have some connections. It's a good computer," Tamikia said.

"I prefer their weapons," Kei said.

"You would," Yuri told her; she reached down and pushed Mughi off her feet.

"Oh sure, and that VP70M you acquired isn't one of you prize possessions?"

"I'm not denying that they made good weapons, and still produce a very fine limited edition, but they are a computer company now."

"Do you have any other ideas?" Tamikia asked them.

"To improve your security, no. As for the other attempts on you life and the kidnappings, they all seem strictly amateur. We have no idea who's behind it, but you have quite a few potential enemies, as well as anyone looking to make a lot of money. The possibilities are almost limitless."

"Give us a little time, we'll solve this case," Yuri said.

"We always do," Kei told her. "One way or another."

* * *

"Very nice," Kei said as they crossed through the large, double doors into the foyer beyond. Above them skylights provided the illumination for the large, tiled room.

"Thank you," Tamikia said. "The house is currently my main centre of operations."

"The stone of the outside walls won't stop a determined attack," Yuri said as she looked around. There was painting on the wall looked like a Picasso, but Yuri was certain it could not be.

"There's twenty five centimetres of dura-armour alloy behind the stone," Tamikia told her.

"Think that will stop a determined attack?" Kei said, needling Yuri.

"If not we can always use something really dense, like your brain." Mughi moved a few steps away from the two women, as if he sensed danger.

"Oooh."

"Would you two like to see your room?" Tamikia asked, interrupting them. "I've put you together, but I can change that if you want."

"No, that's fine," Yuri said.

"Oh good. I'll have a maid show you to your room." As if Tamikia's words had worked magic, a young woman in a maids uniform was there. The young woman gave Mughi a nervous glance, but came forward non-the less.

Discrete servants, Yuri thought, cute uniform and cute girl as well. Moves like a fighter though, interesting.

"Anna, could you take Kei and Yuri to the room I had prepared for them?"

"Yes ma'am." Anna bowed shallowly to Tamikia. "If you will come with me," she said to Yuri and Kei.

She led the two trouble consultants, and Mughi, off towards the family wing.

Tamikia was about to head to her offices when her Major-domo, Pell, came into the foyer. He walked straight towards her.

"Ah Pell, good. The 3WA agents have arrived. Make certain they get anything they want."

"Of course, but Tamikia, I'm not sure about those two. They do have a rather unsavoury reputation and they will not be a good influence on your children."

Tamikia was rather surprised by that. Pell was usually tolerant of almost everybody. She knew Kei and Yuri had a bad reputation, but she also knew the press tended to be more interested in selling news than in telling the truth. If Pell didn't approve of the trouble consultants that was a minor problem. She had better make her opinion on the matter clear though, she thought.

"Pell, those two young ladies have never failed a case. Right now their job is to protect my daughters and myself. As for being a bad influence, I'd rather have Catherine and Susan corrupted than dead, or worse."

"Of course," he said, a slight hint of surprise in his voice. "I never suggested otherwise. I'm sorry I upset you."

"Don't be sorry Pell. I put you in charge of the household because you would question me." She reached out and patted Pell's shoulder then turned and left him, heading for her offices.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

_ "It's all fun and games till someone gets hurt, then it's just fun. When someone gets killed it's our job and when an entire city is destroyed it's not our fault."_

-Remark attributed to Kei by an anonymous reporter.

"You should see the view from the bathroom," Kei said as she walked into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around her, steam flowing out of the door behind her.

"Why would anyone want a great view from a bathroom?" Yuri asked, though it was more a rhetorical question than anything else.

"I don't know. You can make the glass cloudy or even opaque just like the window in this room."

"That would lessen ones' worries about voyeurs."

"Nice room she gave us," Kei said as she tossed herself onto one of the canopied beds.

Yuri nodded.

The room had two beds in it, several chairs, two couches, and a coffee table in front of each couch. A bookshelf covered the wall opposite to the beds. It held an entertainment centre, two computer workstations and of course books. The door leading to the bathroom was between the beds. Opposite to the door that led out into the hall way was a picture window that made up the outside wall of the room.

Yuri sat on the window bench staring out at the manicured lawns and the forest two hundred meters away. She knew that the security system covered the forest so well that every animal in it could be counted and identified. It would be nearly impossible to get through it undetected.

Her fingers tapped absently at the keys of the laptop she had found in the room. However she hardly paid any attention to it, her attention absorbed by the view.

"So why do you think 3WA went to so much trouble to get us here?" Kei asked from the bed where she was towelling her hair dry.

"You noticed that to." Yuri looked away from the view to see Kei nod. "I suppose we'll find out some day. At least we're getting the Angel refitted almost two years before the set date, or it being trashed."

"Bet you politics are involved one way or another."

"Probably," Yuri said as she looked at the screen of the computer, curious as to what she had been doing.

"How long do you think this case is going to last?" Kei opened one of her suitcases and began tossing clothes onto the bed.

"Not too long." Yuri turned the computer off. "I mean how long do you think they can afford to just leave us here?" Yuri stopped and considered the implications of what she had just said.

"They wouldn't," Kei said, having reached the same unpleasant conclusion Yuri had.

"Of course not."

"Good."

Yuri did not think that Kei was really assured, but neither was Yuri. There was a silent agreement between them that they would forget their concerns and not speak of it any further. At least that was what Yuri thought.

Kei put on her undergarments and then took a seat at the vanity table to brush out her still damp hair. Yuri simply stared outside, letting her mind wander.

A few minutes later Yuri was snapped back to the present by a knock at the door.

"Yeah," Kei called.

"It's Tamikia, can I come in?" She called from the other side of the door.

"Sure, it's not locked," Kei told her.

Yuri went back to looking out the window.

Tamikia pushed the door open, entered the room, and took a look around. "I suppose that I'm almost disappointed."

"Really?" Kei was checking her bangs for split ends. "Why?"

"Guess I was expecting guns to be scattered about the room, as well as other things."

"Maybe next time. So," Kei finished with her hair and turned towards Tamikia, "what can we do for you?"

"I just came to tell you that your suggestions have been put into effect or soon will be. Also I'm going to a formal party tonight..."

"Great, we love parties," Kei interrupted. Yuri came out of her thoughts and turned her head towards Tamikia.

"Well I only want one of you to come with me, the other will stay here and ensure the safety of my children."

"Have fun with the kids Kei. Now what should I wear?" Yuri asked aloud.

"Oh no Yuri, I took the less pleasant aspect of the case last time."

"I seem to remember that I was the one being tied up and beaten and you may think that's fun but I'm not into it."

"Yeah, but I had to sit in that drop ship worrying about you."

"Why do I get the feeling you two don't care for children?" Tamikia asked.

"No offence meant," Kei said.

"Let's flip a coin," Yuri suggested.

"Let's not, no matter what the admin types say you're still on the injured list. Stay here with Mughi acting as back up. The house is a lot safer."

"That's hardly fair," Yuri told Kei.

"But the fact you might be at a disadvantage at the party has nothing to do with what's fair."

"Okay, I'll stay, but you owe me big." Yuri pouted.

"My children aren't that bad," Tamikia insisted. "Well usually at least."

"You're both going armed," Yuri said as she stood and stretched.

"I seem to recall you saying something like you had a target range?" Kei asked Tamikia.

"Yes, in the sub basements."

"Might you also store arms there, pistols, rifles, and other assorted party favours?" Kei leaned back against the vanity.

"Of course."

"Good, just let me get dressed then we'll go looking." Kei stood and walked to her suitcases.

Tamikia walked over to look at something she had seen on one of the bed. It was a grey plush cat with a red ribbon around its neck, set neatly on a pillow. She picked it up. It was a beautiful toy, very well made, eyes that seemed almost real. It was nice to find a little something innocent with the trouble consultants.

"This is very cute," she said.

"That's Yuri's," Kei said. "She needs it for security."

"I can understand that." Tamikia placed the cat back on the pillow.

"It's great." Yuri came up beside Tamikia and picked up the cat. She reached into a hidden opening in the cat's stomach and pulled out a pistol. "Kei thinks that something under the pillow is enough but I like the extra surprise this provides. I can even fire out of it, the round exits right out the back of its head."

Tamikia sighed and turned away.

Yuri slid the pistol back into the cat and then placed the plush animal gently back on her pillow. She bent down to fix the ribbon and touched the cat's nose before straightening. She saw Kei looking at her with a smile. Yuri stuck her tongue out.

"So what are you comfortable shooting?" Kei did up the last button on her blouse.

"Assault rifles, rail pistols, the very occasional heavy assault weapon," Tamikia told her.

"Assault rifles tend to be a bit conspicuous," Yuri said.

"Oh I don't know, remember our graduation party? You could have brought a field piece in there without anyone commenting."

"Well let's go down to the range and see what we can find before we start trotting out the artillery," Yuri responded.

"Come on, we can take the elevator in the next hall way." Tamikia headed for the door. Kei and Yuri followed her.

* * *

"Bang," Yuri said as she sighted down range with the H&K rail rifle.

"Having fun?" Kei asked slyly.

"Okay, I'll admit they make a fine as weapon as they do a computer." Yuri pulled the first stage of the trigger and the laser sight came on. She squeezed the second stage and fired a burst into the human shaped target, blowing its head from the rest of the body.

"Nice grouping," Kei commented, looking at the scoring screen.

Yuri put the weapon on safe and ejected the magazine. She touched a recessed button inside the weapon where the magazine had just been. A single flechette fell into her hand. She looked at the fin-stabilized dart; so small but so deadly.

"Too bad you couldn't use the grenade launcher," Kei said.

"Let's not get greedy." Yuri let the flechette fall beside the magazine. She turned and walked into the weapons lock up.

"See anything you like?" Yuri asked Tamikia. Tamikia was looking at a selection of pistols, a speculative look on her face.

"What?" She sounded surprised. "Oh, no. I just never realized how many damn weapons I have down here." She shook her head.

"You are one lucky lady," Kei said as she entered the lock up. "Did you buy them all?"

"Some. Most are samples from the companies I own, or own stock in."

"Must be nice." Kei pulled a DEFTEC, combat shotgun from its place in the rack.

"I think the Berretta Streamline Four would be a good choice." Yuri took the pistol from the rack. "Rail pistol, sixteen rounds, accurate up to a fifty meters, reliable, easily concealed." She worked the simple action and then presented it to Tamikia. "It should suit your needs."

"It lacks stopping power." Kei said as she put the shotgun back in its rack.

"Sure, if you want to drop an elephant."

"What about a small mech, or a full conversion borg?"

"Not a pistol in the galaxy that can do that," Yuri told her.

"What about a Terror?"

"Only in bad vids."

"Blood bath twelve was not a bad vid."

"Excuse me ladies," Tamikia interrupted them. "Mind if I give this a test." She held up the pistol and a magazine.

"Go for it," Kei said.

Tamikia walked to the firing point, slid the magazine into the grip and aimed down range. Controlling her breathing, carefully squeezing the trigger, all as she had been taught. The weapon discharged. The score screen read a hit in the centre of the target's head.

"Well?" Tamikia said smiling.

"Nice, if the person you're trying to shoot lets you take the time you need and refrains from firing at you." Kei told her.

"And you're so much better?" Tamikia said defensively. She then frowned and shook her head. "Of course you are. Stupid of me."

"Don't worry about it. Here, check this out." Kei took the pistol from Tamikia and tossed it to Yuri. Yuri lifted her hand, waited for the pistol to pass near and closed her fingers over it all in one smooth motion.

Turning on her heel, she waited until the pistol's barrel lined up on a target and began to fire. The smooth turn continued, Yuri emptying the magazine as fast as the targets presented themselves. Every shot a head shot.

"Now it isn't realistic to expect you to be that good," Kei said once Yuri finished. "That is after all why you have body guards and why we've been assigned to you. Still, you got to get your head out of the firing range mentality."

"Try firing from a kneeling position or prone." Yuri handed her the pistol and a new magazine. "It will make you that much harder to hit."

"And remember to use surprise. No one will expect you to be armed. If you can wait until your target gets close and then..." Kei put her hands together with her trigger fingers extended to form a pistol shape. She made a firing motion.

"And don't be afraid to just blow off an entire magazine. Keep their heads down and make them waste time," Yuri said.

Tamikia nodded then knelt down and began to fire, trying for speed rather then accuracy. She fired twenty magazines worth of ammunition before the trouble consultants were pleased.

"What about my daughter?" Tamikia asked a few minutes later while she ran a diagnostic check on the pistol.

"Catherine?" Kei asked.

"Yes."

"Get her down here and we'll see what we can do."

Tamikia put the pistol aside and walked to the phone on the wall.

Kei walked back onto the range where Yuri was firing at a holographic target sequence with the rail rifle she had used earlier.

"A weapon for Tamikia's daughter, what do you think?" Kei asked Yuri.

"How old?"

"Fifteen."

"Something small, easily concealed, it doesn't have to have a lot of range," Yuri said.

"How about a hold out pistol? The one you used in the Jenki sting was nice."

"Perfect," Yuri said after a moment of thought. She walked into the weapons lock up to see if she could find one. Kei picked up the rifle, slid a new magazine in, and began to fire.

* * *

Catherine rode the elevator to the sub basement. She was fifteen and at the awkward stage between child and adult. She was an attractive child, anyone could tell that she would be quite beautiful in a few years; anyone but Catherine, unfortunately. Adolescent insecurities preyed on her. She twined her long, dark brown hair in her fingers, her brown eyes held a down cast look to them.

She was in two minds about the presence of the Dirty Pair in the house. On one hand they were two women who Catherine idolized in a strange sort of way. They were counterculture heroes to many young people.

On the other hand they were both very attractive and between her mother and all the female servants the last thing she needed were more beautiful women in the house for her to feel inferior to.

The doors of the elevator slid back revealing the range to Catherine. She stepped out of the car.

The one with long, black hair, Yuri she recalled, was firing down range with a machine pistol. Catherine remembered once being told that machine pistols were inherently unstable and not very accurate.

No one, it seemed, had ever told the 3WA agent about it; her score was high and continued to increase. And that, she noted, was with only one eye. The eye-patch some how made Yuri look dashing, glamorous, dangerous.

The red head, Kei, was talking to Catherine's mother, using a tone Catherine had trouble believing her mother would take. Life seemed even more screwed up to the insecure teenager.

"So you must be Catherine," Yuri said, snapping Catherine out of her thoughts.

"Yeah." Catherine mumbled. She noted that Yuri was not using a condescending tone. That, at least, made her feel better.

"Glad you're here. Try a few shots with this." Yuri held out a small pistol. "See if you like it."

"Pardon?" Catherine was confused.

"Your mother decided it might be a good idea if you were armed," Kei told her.

"Really?"

"Yes," Tamikia said. "I think you are mature enough for the responsibility."

"There you go," Yuri said, smiling as she put the pistol in Catherine's hands. "Down range." She pointed at the targets.

Catherine shifted the pistol in her grip, walked up to the firing point, raised the pistol and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

"Just a sec." Yuri stood behind Catherine and reached around the girl's slim shoulders. "You have to press this button." She placed Catherine's thumb against a concave surface on the back of the pistol. "That will connect the battery to the magnetic coils. Safety feature." Yuri pushed on Catherine's thumb and there was a small click.

Yuri stood up, letting Catherine aim again.

"Go for a head shot," Kei told her. "That pistol is notoriously ineffective against armour, hold outs are like that."

Catherine shifted her aim, pulled the trigger. The projectile barely hit the target.

"The range is pretty bad on that thing," Kei told her and turned her attention to the range controls. "You shouldn't be shooting much farther than two or three meters with it." The target Catherine had fired at moved closer, to the four-meter mark. "Try this."

Catherine took a deep breath and then fired again. She hit, almost dead centre in the target's head. She fired a few more times and repeated her success.

"Try it kneeling," Kei instructed.

Catherine dropped to her knee and fired some more shots. She found it harder but quickly got the feel for it.

When she ran out of ammunition Yuri handed her another tube magazine of the Teflon-coated, steel balls. Halfway through the magazine the weapon's power cell went dead.

"Good enough." Kei took the pistol from Catherine.

"You won't need to get off that many shots anyway," Yuri told her.

"Why not?" Catherine and Tamikia asked almost simultaneously.

"You want to work with surprise." Yuri said, addressing Catherine. "No one is to know you're armed. If it comes down to using that weapon you'll only get a few shots off, probably at very close range."

Kei had slid a new battery into the pistol and pushed a new magazine into it.

"Don't connect the battery and the coils until you're going to use it." Kei handed her the pistol and a holster. "Do I have to give you the standard lecture about weapons safety?" Kei asked her.

"No," Catherine said as she took the weapon.

"Fine, I can't remember the standard lecture anyway. I'll just give you the warning one of my instructors gave me. Fool around with that, treat it like a toy, and I'll shoot you in the knee caps." Kei smiled, taking some of the bite out of the warning, but not all of it.

"Yes ma'am." Catherine said.

"Kei." The red head's smile was warmer.

"Where should I keep this?" Catherine held out the pistol.

"That's a stealth holster. It will clip on almost anywhere. Put it into the waistband of your jeans and pull the tails of your shirt over it," Yuri told her.

Catherine did so; she could hardly feel the pistol but was sure it must be creating a huge bulge.

"About tonight..." Tamikia said to Kei.

"Yes." The red head turned.

"I'll send my tailor up to fit you for something to wear at the party."

"This isn't some jab at my taste in clothing is it?" Kei asked.

"No."

"She's lying to spare your feelings dear Kei," Yuri said. "You have no taste. Can I borrow this?" Yuri held up the rail rifle and looked at Tamikia.

"You can have it," Tamikia said as she walked over to the elevator and tapped the call button. The doors opened immediately.

"We can't accept gratuities," Kei said, obviously getting back at Yuri for her earlier comment about her lack of taste. She directed Catherine towards the elevator.

"If anyone asks I stole it," Yuri said as she followed the others into the elevator.

The doors closed and the elevator began its ascent.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

_I mean they were like the biggest losers I ever met. There was this party once and Yuri was doing a wallflower act, sitting in the back, plugged into that computer of hers. We all thought she was doing her homework or something. Later we found out anyone who gave her a hard time suddenly had a criminal record for morals violations. No, I can't prove that she was responsible, but do I really need to?_

_Kei was just as bad but in a different way. She was fine until some one ticked her off and then someone was stumbling away with a black eye or a broken nose._

_I still don't know how they got into the clique and why no one ever kicked them out. They must have had something on somebody._

Buffy Vanderbrass, as quoted in:  
-Phalasia Drast's Guns, Bad Karma, and Babes (Unauthorized, unreleased, and under litigation Biography of the Lovely Angels.)

"What do you think?" Kei asked as she pulled her hair over her shoulder to tie it off with a black ribbon.

"Clothes or case?" Yuri asked from where she lay on the bed, looking at Kei's back.

"Either, both."

"You look fabulous, that tailor really knows her stuff. I'll probably be fine, you might have some trouble, stay on your toes."

"I don't need a tailor to look good," Kei remarked as she spun on the heel of one of her black pumps to face Yuri. She was wearing a black cocktail dress that left her shoulders bare and clung to her tightly down to her waist where it flared out into a skirt that ended just below her knees. An embroidered seam ran down the back of her black stockings and the pumps had a dull shine on them.

Yuri had to admit, with a tinge of jealousy, that it did things for Kei that were just amazing. It looked like it had been made for her, which was possible considering Tamikia's resources.

"So what do you want in the way of weapons?" Yuri asked.

"I don't know. The smallest pistol I have won't fit into this purse." Kei held the small handbag up. "Yuri be a dear, give me one of those cute little pistols you collect."

"Cute little pistols?" Yuri said slowly. "You are so kind." She slid partway off her bed and reached under it. She came up with a briefcase that she placed on her bed and opened. Inside the case were several pistols, packed neatly in the foam lining. Yuri ran her hands over the guns and then pulled out two.

"Energy or ballistic?" Yuri asked.

"Better go with ballistic. You've never had much luck with energy weapons."

Yuri shrugged her shoulders and put one of the pistols back in the case. She handed the other to Kei.

"Tan Mai. Good choice," Kei said as she took the pistol. She took a magazine from Yuri and slid it into the weapon. She put the pistol, and two more magazines--that Yuri also handed her--into her purse. "Now all I need is something for back up."

"I have a few hold out pistols," Yuri told her.

"No, I have a better idea." Kei smiled.

She walked to the wardrobe where all her clothes were packed and searched through the small chest of drawers.

"Here it is," Kei said, holding up a knife. "Hold this." She tossed the knife to Yuri while keeping the sheath.

Yuri could not help but panic a little as the thorn of steel spun towards her. Her first grab slapped the handle and sent it off on a different tangent. Her next grab caught it but at the expense nick on her thumb.

"That was stupid," Yuri said putting her cut thumb to her mouth.

"Sorry, thought you were more coordinated. Maybe your reflex boosters need a check?"

Yuri stared and the knife in her hand and then at Kei. Very tempting, she thought. She took her thumb from her mouth and saw the bleeding had already stopped; it was a small cut.

Kei took a seat on her bed and pulled the skirt of her dress up around her waist. She unclipped the garter clasps on her left stocking and pushed it down. After strapping the sheath to the inside of her thigh she pulled the stocking over it, being careful not to put a run in it, then snapped the clasps back on. The opening of the sheath was just above the stocking top.

"Here." Yuri handed Kei the knife, hilt first.

"Thanks." Kei took the knife and slid it into the sheath. She stood and let the skirt fall back into place.

"How does it feel?" Yuri asked.

"Fine. Does it show?"

"Turn around." Kei did so and Yuri looked her over. "No, you're good."

"Good. I'm ready then." She picked up her handbag from where it lay on the bed.

"Don't get into too much trouble Kei," Yuri warned.

"We'll see." Kei smiled.

"I might as well see you off. I'm sure that Tamikia will have a few things to tell me." Yuri stood up.

"Look on the bright side." Kei turned to make a final check in the mirror. "This gives you a chance to use those oft neglected maternal instincts of yours." Kei headed towards the door.

"The only thing I have maternal instincts for are fast, sporty vehicles that have outrageous price tags," Yuri said dejectedly as she followed Kei out of the room

* * *

Very interesting, Yuri thought as she slipped deeper into the police computer system. She had decided to see what the authorities had uncovered concerning the attempts made on Tamikia and her family. Yuri did not expect much. She was certain the information Tamikia had provided was more in-depth than what the police might have.

Still breaking into the system was good practice.

She had discovered a promising looking back door. She knew that any unguarded path that looked so inviting could not have gone unnoticed by the police computer techs. She had suspected a trap and she had found one.

It was a nasty piece of work. A brain fryer if she ever saw one. A little heavy handed for a police system. It was the sort of thing that could cause all sort of complications were it to kill some stupid kid. Well, not really her problem. She began to circumvent the program.

She was almost through when someone shook her knee. Normally such an occurrence would not have really been a problem. Jacked into the system as she was, physical sensations, unless particularly violent, did not effect her performance. Unfortunately she had not been giving the intrusion her complete attention and had grown a little complacent. Therefore the distraction, as minor as it was, came at the worst time.

The dormant attack program she had been patiently, if inattentively, skirting was suddenly active. She put all her defences on automatic, tossed out enough decoys to keep a hundred programs busy and got ready to punch out. The program, curse its programmer, was not deceived, and made straight for her.

Yuri reacted quickly. She downloaded a heavy spike, made alterations to it on the fly, and plunged it straight into the attacker. Ice pick lobotomy, not very clever nor pretty, but highly effective. The program faltered, only for a few nano-seconds, but Yuri used them well.

She laid down false trails, sleazed her own trail, and then punched out.

Yuri looked down, back in the real world once again. She found Susanne, Tamikia's five-year-old daughter, looking up at her. Yuri looked at her deck; several LEDs were blinking, and the small screen was reporting that eight of her ten defensive shields were corrupted beyond repair.

That had had the potential to be a bad one.

"You wanted something?" Yuri asked Susanne. She was careful to keep her tone even, though a part of her wanted to snap at the girl.

"Are you a pirate?" The five year old asked. She was, Yuri decided, very cute; blonde hair in a ponytail, green eyes with intelligence and curiosity in them. She wore a green dress that matched her eyes; a blue sash around her waist matched the ribbon in her hair.

"No I'm not a pirate, well at least not professionally."

"Why do you wear an eye patch then?"

That confused Yuri for a second until she remembered childhood stories of old Earth's water pirates. These days when she thought of pirates she thought of slick corporate raiders, hackers, and the occasional mercenary unit that dealt in piracy. None of them would wear an eye patch any longer then it took them to get an eye replaced.

"I'm wearing this patch because I did a very stupid thing."

"Huh?" Susanne looked confused.

"Let's just say I did something that seemed like a good idea at the time and it turned out not to be."

"Did it hurt?" Inquisitiveness and empathy warred for dominance in the child's eyes. Yuri could not help but smile.

"Only for a little while." Yuri told her.

Catherine, who had left the entertainment room for drink, came back at that moment. She noticed the flashing lights on Yuri's deck.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing much." Yuri leaned back into the couch.

"Susanne, didn't mom tell you not to be a nuisance?" Catherine asked her little sister.

"I wasn't bothering her," the young girl stated but she sounded if she might start crying.

"She wasn't bothering me," Yuri told Catherine. The last thing she wanted was a bawling five year old to deal with.

"Told you," Susanne said, sounding vindicated.

"But your deck..." Catherine pointed at the deck.

"Nothing that can't easily be put right," Yuri lied. "And I do have some things I have to do." Yuri put the deck on the coffee table and pulled the link cable from her data jack. She reached over and pulled an electronics kit towards her.

"Come on Susanne, let's watch a Vid." Catherine led her sister to the large, flat, vid screen.

Yuri opened the kit and took out several trays. Looking at the contents she wondered what kind of jewellery Tamikia might wear. Diamond studs, she thought after a moment; Tamikia had been wearing diamond studs when she had picked them up and when she had left with Kei. Yuri found a pair and placed them down.

"Mughi," Yuri said to the big cat sitting on the other side of the couch. "I want you to set these for our com frequency." She touched the small box containing the earrings.

Mughi twisted around, one of the tentacles on the side of his head picking up the box, the other scooping up a small electronic tool kit. He jumped off the couch onto the floor where he would be able to work.

The problem with the earrings were that they could only produce a signal for a short time. Yuri had all ready inserted a program into the house computer that would turn every com into a signal relay and booster but that would only work if Tamikia was in the house or on the mansion grounds. Larger earrings would of course solve that problem, but Tamikia did not usually wear larger earrings, and Yuri suspected that she did not, then larger earrings would be commented upon.

That would not do.

Yuri rummaged through the kit until she found what she needed. An old lipstick tube and a signal booster.

Mughi laid the completed earrings on the table and Yuri gave him the booster. With his knowledge of electronic systems, the surprisingly nimble tentacles and his ability to affect electric fields Mughi could do in minutes what would take Yuri an hour.

Yuri considered what other things Tamikia might wear that she could put a panic button in. She could not think of any thing else that would be innocuous and had to hope the earrings would be enough.

She would have liked to rig something up for Susanne but decided the girl might not appreciate the seriousness of it. Catherine was another matter entirely.

"Catherine, come here for a minute," Yuri called to her; pitching her voice to carry over the loud music the girls had playing.

"What?" Catherine asked as she approached Yuri.

"That ring you're wearing, how long have you had it?" Yuri asked her.

"This one." She looked down at the jade set ring. "Only about two weeks, but I've been wearing similar ones for almost eight years."

"Perfect." Yuri smiled. She looked through the kit and took out several rings that were close matches. "Try these on, see if any of them are a good size."

"What are they for?" Catherine asked as she took off her own ring and began trying on the others.

"Panic button. If anything happens you activate it and it gives Kei and myself warning."

"It can't have that much range," Catherine said as she found one that was almost a perfect fit.

Yuri nodded, a little surprised at the girl's astuteness. "That's true, but I have set up relay points. That ring has a range of almost ten kilometres and can broadcast its signal for almost twenty minutes."

"Do those ear rings have the same set up?" Catherine indicated the studs sitting on the table.

"Unfortunately no. Once you go under a certain size the drop off in effectiveness is exponential. It's too bad your mother doesn't go for bigger jewellery. Here let me see the ring."

Catherine took the ring off and dropped it into Yuri's palm.

"To activate this you twist the setting, either way, until you feel a click, then press down on the stone. Mughi," she said to the cat as it approached the table with the tuned booster. "Set this one up." She placed the ring on the table.

Catherine was still not comfortable with the ferocious looking cat and backed away a few steps.

"I guess that's it." Yuri began to pack away the kit. She slid the booster into the lipstick case and placed it beside the earrings.

"Can I ask you something?" Catherine said.

"Sure." Yuri finished putting away her equipment.

"You went to a normal school didn't you?"

"Now that's an interesting question, what exactly do you meant by normal?"

"Well a regular school, the sort most people go to."

"I went to Meizuira University, I suppose you could call it a regular school, in the loosest sort of definition of regular."

"I've gone to a few very exclusive private schools, but mostly I've had private tutors all my life. Shortly before the kidnapping attempts started I told my mother I wanted to go to a regular school."

"To see how the other half lives?" Yuri asked her.

"No. Because I want to have fun."

Yuri laughed. "Well I did have a lot of fun. Probably because of Kei but let's not let her know that."

"So when you were my age what sort of things did you do?" Catherine took a seat on the couch beside Yuri.

"I'm not sure that you want to use my experiences as a measuring stick," Yuri told her, remembering some of the stupid, if not downright illegal, things that she and Kei did.

"Please."

"For the most part just the regular stuff. Skipped classes to do some fun things, all very spontaneous. Hung out with the 'right' people, which meant I spent a lot of time with people did not really like. Hopeless crushes, was on both sides of those, dates, as many memories of some idiot fumbling with my bra as romantic ones." Yuri sighed. "For some reason that seems like a long time ago."

"But it was fun?"

"It was fun. Make some friends, but stay away from the red heads. They're nothing but trouble"  
Mughi placed the ring he had tuned on Yuri's knee. Yuri handed it to Catherine.

* * *

Kei sneezed.

"Are you alright," the man in front of her asked.

"Just some dust in the air," Kei said, rubbing her nose as she looked about.

She decided she should have let Yuri come instead. God she was bored. The string quartet would have been fine for a funeral but Kei was far from dead. She was not sure she could say the same for the majority of others in the large hall however.

The hall had a high ceiling, white pillars stretched from floor to ceiling along the walls. There were many alcoves, like the one Kei was in, that offered people places to sit. A buffet lined one of the walls. Waiters bearing trays of drinks moved though the crowd. Kei didn't feel like eating and alcohol was off limits. She was so bored.

When she had first arrived she had stayed with Tamikia, who had introduced her as business partner to several groups of people. Kei scanned the crowd discretely for what must have been the hundredth time and picked out Tamikia talking to several older gentlemen.

An hour ago things had gone from excruciatingly boring to incredibly painful. A very annoying man, the very man who had just asked to her well being, who had introduced himself as Thomas Valwrom the third, had decided he was going to make her night. He looked older than her, but he acted younger.

She had tried to loose him several times but had not had much luck. If she did not have to watch Tamikia she would have hidden in the ladies rest room.

He prattled on endlessly about how he was going to inherit his father's fabulously, successful electronics firm in only a few years, and how it would make him very rich. Only if his father was a complete idiot Kei thought disgustedly. Thomas was a fool who would not know a boardroom from his elbow.

She leaned back in her seat and swirled her drink, soda water and lime, lazily. She felt a yawn coming and let it show, hoping the idiot in front of her might take the hint. He did not and was obviously thick as a brick.

Kei looked around the room again, looking for trouble. She saw three new guests enter through the main doors. She watched them, as she had tried to watch every new arrival, just in case. The three new ones seemed to belong, and she might have passed them by if not for one of the men.

He twitched, almost constantly. It might be drugs, or a neurological disease, but it could be the effects of a bad reflex boost that had been pushed to far. Kei had seen it before. When one had their reflexes jazzed too high without the proper controls they tended to react to everything without realizing what they were doing. A constant twitching was the one of the effects.

Kei slid her hand into her purse, wrapping her fingers around the pistol's grip. She watched the two men and the woman as they moved into the room. She had a relatively clear shot at them, and would for about five seconds more she guessed, noting the group of people slowly moving into her field of fire. She began to move. Thomas moved with her, keeping up his senseless prattle. Kei was actually glad for it. It made good camouflage.

The group of three, two men and a woman, moved smoothly, each covering the other's flank. Almost as one they seemed to lock on Tamikia and began moving towards her.

The twitcher reached into his coat. Kei drew her pistol, using Thomas to cover the action, and let him pull his pistol out fully, just to be sure. Then she fired on him.

She put three shots into his head. A tougher shot, but she did not have to worry about armour that way.

The woman had an SMG out--how she had hidden it was a trick Kei would have liked to know. Not having time for aiming, Kei simply fired at centre of mass. If the woman had been wearing armour it did not seem to do her much good.

The last one had his pistol out and was looking around for the source of the attack, momentarily forgetting what had been his primary target. Most unprofessional Kei thought. If he had tried to take Tamikia out there and then he might have succeeded.

Kei fired, putting two shots through his wrist. The pistol fell to the floor. Before it hit she fired twice more, one shot to each knee. Disarmed and alive for questioning. Yuri would be so jealous.

At that moment the people supposed to be providing security for the party seemed to realize what was happening. They didn't take any chances and sprayed the 'would be assassins' with auto fire, chopping up the bodies of the dead and killing the one Kei had hoped to talk to.

Kei noticed Tamikia slip something back into her purse. Hopefully no one had seen she was armed.

The red head put her own weapon back in her purse and took out her 3WA ID. She would be having a nice conversation with planetary police no doubt. She looked up and noticed Thomas staring at her, eyes wide with fear.

"Go away," she told him flatly.

Surprisingly enough he did.

"Should have tried shooting someone earlier," Kei said quietly to herself.

* * *

"So what do you think?" Tamikia asked Kei as they entered the mansion. She handed her coat to one of her maids and then quickened her pace to catch up with Kei.

"They were professionals," Kei told her. "Not the best, but good enough. If one of them was still breathing I could tell you more."

"What did the captain say to you?"

"Little of use. A bit of this, a lot of that, a few rather stupid things, and some poorly veiled threats. The normal crap I get from planetary police when they think I have no right being on their balls of rock. Oh, she also promised me that she'd send me all the information their investigations turn up."

"You don't expect much do you?"

"No. It will probably take weeks, if not years for any of the DNA prints to turn up a positive ID, and that's supposing their DNA is registered somewhere. By the time any useful information is found the trail will be cold and useless."

"So you just have to wait until the next attempt is made." Tamikia sighed. "And that's assuming you can get one alive and make them talk."

"If we get our hands on a live body we can make it talk," Kei stated flatly.

"I have a feeling that I'm going to be the bait," Tamikia said as they turned into the family wing. "Can't say that I like the idea."

"Who does? Ask Yuri how she lost her eye." Kei took her pistol from her purse, ejected the magazine and made it safe.

Tamikia stopped in front of the door to the entertainment room. There was noise coming from beyond it. She pushed it open softly and the music grew louder, but not much. She smiled.

"Cute, isn't it." Tamikia pushed the door open wider so Kei could see in.

"Adorable," Kei agreed as she winked at Mughi and put a finger to her lips. She took a camera from her purse. She put it to her eye and pressed the record button.

Catherine was sleeping in front of the vid screen, which had shut itself off. Yuri lay on the couch, looking rather innocent in sleep. Her skirt was tangled around her ankles and her blouse was bunched up below her breasts. Susanne had curled up between the couch back and Yuri and was also asleep.

Yuri was suddenly awake but she did not move. After a moment she relaxed and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"I'm almost positive I told these kids to go to their rooms," Yuri said.

"Haven't dealt much with children have you." Tamikia gathered Susanne up in her arms. The five year old mumbled sleepily then was quiet again.

"How did you guess?" Yuri yawned.

Tamikia took Susanne out of the room.

"These pictures will look so cute, unlike most of the pictures of you, which are only fit for porn mags." Kei laughed softly as she held up the camera.

"If you don't want to die you'll give me the camera," Yuri told her.

"Don't be ridiculous. They will go straight to 3WA public relations. You know they've been dying to get some nice pictures of us, granted you're half naked but it has an innocent air to it." Kei smiled.

"I swear." Yuri said as she pulled her skirt up and pushed her blouse down.

Tamikia slipped back into the room and woke Catherine. "Good night girls," Tamikia said as she directed her daughter out of the room. "Don't stay up too late." Then she was gone.

"Anything of great interest happen?" Yuri stood and stretched.

"Attempted assassination," Kei told her.

"Body count?"

"Three out of three bad guys dead. I had an unwanted assist on the last one."

"Oh well. The police doing the standard check?"

"Yes."

"Don't expect much?"

"No." Kei walked across the room to the stereo and turned the music off.

"So we wait?" Yuri yawned again and dropped back onto the couch.

"Looks like it." Kei turned to face her.

"Party any fun?"

"Loads," Kei lied, smiling.

"Damn," Yuri said.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

_1. Operating an illegally modified spacecraft.  
2. Exceeding safe speed in a heavy traffic zone.  
3. Unsafe manoeuvres.  
4. Threat to other spacecraft.  
5. Refusal to comply with an official order by orbital control.  
6. Resisting arrest.  
_  
-List of charges placed against Kei and Yuri (Ages 17 and 16) by the Mezuiliuan space police. Dropped due offenders' ages and the crashing of all computer files related to the case.

Tamikia leaned back in her grav chair, it bobbed slightly before the effect fields compensated. Her gaze rested on one of the several monitors that covered her desk. She reached forward and tapped the screen of one to get a printout. The printer began to hum softly. 

"Tanis," she called out. "Get in touch with my tax lawyers. I need to know what the UG capital gains tax will cost me if I take over the entire industrial capability of Gelves World and if there are any loopholes. Oh and start some tea."

"Yes ma'am," the computer answered in its soft contralto, voice.

"Have one of my hackers get into Manson's account and remove the money he's been embezzling. Once that is done report him to the proper authorities. If he manages to get away have a price put on his head. Dead or alive, preferably dead, mangled in fact."

"How much should the price be?"

"Half the interest the embezzled funds have earned, that should be enough."

"Yes ma'am," the computer said.

"That's all."

She looked at the other monitors on her desk, tapped a few keys, and then shrugged her shoulders. There was nothing else that really needed her personal attention. She would have the computer check the accounts for Ty Tech and that cleared her workload for the next several hours.

She spun her chair around and stared out the large, tinted, picture window that took up the entire outside wall of her office.

Yuri, Kei and Mughi were out on the lawn with her daughters. The two trouble consultants had been up since very early in the morning, Tamikia wondered if they had even slept. They had checked the house, looking for anything suspicious, attics to sub-basements, quite a bit of work.

Then they had put subcutaneous transmitters into her daughters and herself at breakfast. Tamikia rubbed at her arm, the pain had long since faded but she did not like the idea of having a transmitter inside her.

After that the trouble consultants had left to check out the perimeter defence and security. Her security commanders had sent in reports praising the two. If she did not count Kei breaking the arm of one of the guards, they had handled themselves very well. It made her feel better.

They were wearing those revealing uniforms however and she could not help remembering Pell's earlier comment about them corrupting her children. She pushed the thoughts away, also remembering what she had told him. At least they're probably cool she thought.

* * *

"Now if you do end up going to a university one of the first things you're going to want to do is find the clique that is the most popular," Kei told Catherine. She was lying on a bench under a large tree, its canopy providing shade from the late morning sun. She reached down, pulled a blade of grass from the lawn and began chewing on it.

"And then I become friends with them?" Catherine was sitting beside Kei.

"No. You destroy them. Then, when they are scattered and broken, you rebuild them around you. That way you're the alpha. You make friends with them and you're always the outsider that they invited in." Kei took the blade of grass from her mouth. "Make sure you have a friend you can trust to watch your back and you should be fine. It's great fun."

"I don't get it."

"It sounds confusing, and to be honest, a little cruel, at first, but once you get into the flow of things it will make a lot of sense. Or at least it did to me."

"What did Yuri think about all this?"

"Who do you think explained it all to me? Oh granted she looks innocent enough but she's been known to tamper with brakes and put a person's credit rating in the toilet. Quiet yes, but not harmless."

"Do you have any other suggestions?" Catherine asked. Her tone of voice suggested she was not really certain if she wanted to hear them.

"It wouldn't hurt to have your mother buy you a nice car maybe a yacht with a good fold drive. Being able to make a trip to another system is always a good way to make people very jealous of you."

"That's important, making people jealous?"

"No, but it is good for laughs. Remember school only happens once."

"I want to say that it sounds terrible, but it all makes a certain kind of sense."

"Welcome to the human race."

* * *

Yuri sat on the lawn, her back up against a sleeping Mughi. Susanne was also using the cat as cushion. She did not seem alarmed by him, not like her sister.

Yuri listened to the five-year-old's triad as she picked shapes out of the clouds. Yuri found herself being reminded of the imaginary worlds one could see in the soft billowy clouds. Susanne had an excellent imagination and was not ashamed to let it run wild.

Yuri was brought out of the quiet reverie by the soft beeping from her left earring. She reached up and brushed her hand across it to activate the comlink. She answered the call quietly as not to disturb Susanne.

It was the shipyards calling to tell her that the refit on the Angel had been completed and they could pick it up. She thanked the caller, signed off, and then called Tamikia.

* * *

The buzz of the phone on her desk took Tamikia's attention from what was going on outside. She turned and placed a hand on the speaker, activating it.

"Yes," she said.

"Tamikia, this is Yuri." Tamikia was slightly surprised to be getting a call from Yuri when they were only about twenty meters away from each other.

"What can I do for you?"

"I got a call from the ship yards and the Lovely Angel's refit is complete. I'd like to bring it back here so we can use it if necessary. Would it be a problem if Kei or myself went and got it?"

"I think that maybe you should both go," she told Yuri.

"Pardon?"

"We might be able to draw out an attack if you both leave."

"I don't think that is a good idea," Yuri told her.

"The mansion is probably one of the most secure places there is. As soon as you leave I'll take the kids and we'll go into lockdown mode. Even if something happens we'll be safe. We might be able to get someone for you and Kei to question."

"I'm not entirely certain." There was obvious doubt in Yuri's tone.

"You can't stay here forever." Tamikia was not entirely certain of the course of action she was suggesting, but she had spent a good part of her life taking chances and making them succeed. She would go with what she knew worked. "I agree it's a risky choice, but I think the possible rewards merit it."

For a few seconds Yuri said nothing. "Okay, we'll try it. And you go into lockdown mode as soon as we leave."

"I promise."

"Okay. We'll be back soon."

"Good. You can take whatever vehicle you want from my garage."

* * *

Yuri shut her com off. She was wary about Tamikia's plan. It was not that Kei and herself had not come up with plans that involved even greater risk, but, she thought, looking down at Susanne, she would have thought that Tamikia would be wary about such risks.

Of course she was right. She and Kei and improved the security of the mansion, which had been impressive before. She and Kei leaving would be a good feint.

"Susanne, I want you to go and see your mother now," Yuri said as she stood. "Come on Mughi." She tapped his side with the toe of her boot. He woke but waited until Susanne was no longer leaning on him before getting to his feet.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To get my ship. I'll give you a ride when we get back." Yuri knelt so she was almost eye level with the five year old.

"Promise?" Susanne asked.

"Promise." Yuri reached out to straighten one of the bows in Susanne's hair and then sent her running towards the house with a pat on her back. She then stood and strode across the lawn to Kei.

"Come on Kei, we're going to pick up the Angel."

"Doesn't Tamikia want one of us to stay?" Kei asked.

"No. I guess we did a good job of securing the place." She made a quick gesture with her hand, a signal that said, 'more information later'.

"Nice of her. Catherine we'll continue the conversation when I get back." Kei stood.

"Sure." Catherine said.

"Catherine, I think your mother wants to talk to you."

"Okay," Catherine said. She got up and started towards the house.

"What's up?" Kei asked as soon at Catherine was out of earshot. She got up from the bench.

"Tamikia wants to pull a feint, see if she can draw out an attack." Yuri turned and started towards the garage.

"Gutsy move."

"I suppose. Possibly stupid."

"Not stupid, but maybe premature. We would have been suggesting something like this in a few days."

Yuri nodded. "Are you filling that poor girl's head with bad advice?" Yuri asked changing the subject.

"And what would you consider good advice. Lock yourself in a room and study every single hour of the day? I'm telling her how to enjoy her self."

"Did you tell her to find a friend who could hack into the school's files and change her marks?"

"You never did that," Kei said.

"Do you actually think you graduated on the basis of your scholastic merit?" Yuri asked lightly.

"Where do you want me to send your body?" Kei smiled. Always a bad sign with that tone of voice Yuri knew.

"Kei, your shoes are untied." Yuri said. Kei looked down. Why she could never be sure. Only Yuri could get her to fall for a line like that. Yuri took full advantage of it and swept Kei's feet. Then she sprinted towards the entrance of the underground garage, Mughi at her heels.

"You little..." Kei yelled as she got to her feet and ran after Yuri.

* * *

Kei was planning on various types of revenge against Yuri. Nothing excessive of course, just enough to let her friend know that she, Yuri, had pushed things a little too far. It was good for Yuri to be reminded that such limits existed, Kei thought.

She followed Yuri into the garage, a huge, underground pace where a fleet of various vehicles were stored. Yuri has stopped at the bottom of the stairs, standing near one of the many sports cars

Just before Kei could lay hands on her Yuri said, smiling, "Tamikia said we could take what ever we want."

Kei stopped short, just in front of Yuri. She looked around the huge garage, remembering all the vehicles she had seen there during an earlier security sweep. She whistled appreciatively and then said. "I'm still going to hurt you Yuri," she said as she walked off between a pair of APCs. "You just won't know when it comes."

"Promises, promises," Kei heard Yuri call out.

The place was incredible to the point of being ridiculous. Kei wondered if Tamikia had actually decided on the set up or if some architect had decided if for her. There were so many damn vehicles in the place. Had that been a conscious choice of Tamikia's, or. Like the arms locker in the house, was if just a side effect of owning so many companies?

Kei decided it really did not matter as she went in search of the perfect vehicle.

Kei stopped beside a battle tank. It had large, armoured smart-wheels, and had a rounded, almost organic shape. At the moment it was a neutral grey in colour, but Kei was certain that was just the chameleon field was just inactive. "How about a tank?" Kei yelled off towards the direction she thought Yuri was.

"Can't parallel park a tank," Yuri yelled back.

"You probably can't," Kei said softly as she continued on, looking for something else.

Not far from the tank she found what she was looking for. It was a black sports car. It was low, streamlined and looked like it would cut through the air like monofilament.

Now this is what I was thinking of, Kei thought, running her fingers across the smooth, cool surface. The surface was like ice in that it offered little resistance to her fingers. Frictionless. She reached down and opened the door. The new car smell wafted out at her.

As she slid into the leather seat tiny actuators adjusted cushions, providing her with a very comfortable place from which to drive the car. The fittings inside the war were polished aluminium and dark wood. She grasped the leather steering wheel in her hands. "Oh baby," she said. "Yuri! Come here."

It was a few seconds before Yuri, Mughi at her heels, came around the tank and walked up to the car. "This is rather pretty."

Kei smiled up at her. "Be dear and fetch the keys for this. I'm going to ride her hard and put her away wet."

"What a pleasant turn of words Kei. Why don't you get the keys?"

"The moment I leave this darling I know you'll be sliding your unworthy butt into my seat."

"Unworthy?"

"Skanky?"

"Let's stick with unworthy."

"Shoo," Kei said, making 'go away' gestures with her hands. "Go and get those keys."

"Fine," she said. "Mughi, stay here. Make sure Kei does not do anything too etchi." She walked away.

Kei looked at Mughi. Mughi looked back at her. "What?" Kei asked.

A short time later Yuri returned. She tossed the keys to the Kei. "There you go." She walked around to the passenger door.

"Any problem getting them?"

Yuri opened the door and let Mughi jump into the small, back seat. "Not really. The woman in charge of the motor pool seemed a little wary." She pushed the seat back and then slid into the seat. "Comfy," she said a moment later.

"Aren't they? So, what about the lady in charge?"

"She did not think we should take this. One of a kind prototype. Never been driven. That sort of crap. I told her that we would break it in for her." She closed the car door.

"And did that make her feel better?"

"Strangely enough, no."

"Too bad for her," Kei said as she slid the key into the security jack on the dashboard. The instruments lights flickered and then came on steady. Kei put the car in gear and slowly pulled away from the other vehicles.

"Has its own fusion generator," Yuri commented from her seat.

"The better for me to drive it with my dear," Kei said.

"Traditionally I should probably be saying that to you."

"You know what I think about tradition," Kei said, and punched the accelerator. The electric motors driving each of the wheels winded. The smart tires flattened themselves out, greatly increasing the amount of tire surface on the ground. Kei twisted the wheel and the car spun neatly out between a stretch limousine and a bunch of racing bikes.

Members of staff were looking on. Most of them had looks of horror on their faces.

Kei did not care. "Road trip," she shouted as she took her foot from the accelerator, brining the car back under her control. She lined it up with the far of patch of sunlight streaming through the garage's exit. Putting her foot down the car leapt forward. The acceleration pushed her back into her seat.

I'm in love, Kei thought.

* * *

The car was stopped at the west gate of the inner shield wall. The commander of the gate contingent nodded as he recognized them.

"Off to town ladies?" he asked as he triggered the gate to open.

"Don't wait up," Kei said with a smile and then, put her foot down on the accelerator, the car leaping forward. She turned the wheel sharply and passed through the half open gate.

"You almost ruined the paint job," Yuri said.

"Never," Kei told her. She looked about as she drive towards the outer wall. "We got dormant warbeasts in the woods around here, right?"

"Yes."

"Those things take forever to get back up to speed. I didn't cover it in the notes Tamikia gave us. How did she deal with the lag?"

"Extra adrenal and endocrine glands, as well as a symbiotic bacteria that produce stimulants and other nasty drugs. They can be functional within ten seconds of activation and fully operable in forty," Yuri told her.

"With all those drugs they can't be too stable."

"Probably not. Oh yeah," Yuri said, remembering another important piece of information, "each is fitted with a laser cannon."

"Tamikia is certainly pushing the bounds of legality isn't she?"

"It's the golden rule, she who has the gold makes the rules. Anyway it's not that bad. Each has a cortex bomb set to go off if they leave the area between the shield walls. If one goes rouge, nothing embarrassing will happen; unless you happen to be within the shield walls. And then, well, one might argue that you were too stupid to be allowed to live."

"Very nasty."

"Me or Tamikia?"

"Both of you."

Another contingent of guards patrolled the outer gate wall. As soon as they passed through it they were off of Tamikia's property and on the open road.

"I like these newly settled and sparsely populated planets," Kei said as she accelerated up to 200KPH, "they don't bother with barbaric little things like speed limits."

Yuri leaned over and turned the car's information screen so she could see it. She brought up the features menu and then drilled down to the stats on the wheel motors.

"You'll like this," Yuri said as she began to enter commands via the screen touch interface.

"What?" Kei asked.

"Just a moment."

The car shook slightly as the forward bumper reconfigured itself into an air dam and the rear shifted to form a spoiler.

"What are you playing at Yuri?" Kei asked her.

"Motors are only producing sixty percent of their potential, safe output. Ready for a hundred?"

"Bring it," Kei said with a laugh.

Yuri did.

The car shifted about, almost as if it were a live thing. It dropped slightly as the smart wheel spread out, and then it leapt forward, rising as the wheels narrowed to reduce friction.

"Yes!" Kei shouted. They hit a steep incline and climbed rapidly out of a valley, onto the windswept lands above. The car rocked as a cross wind caught it, but Kei kept it under control.

"Decent ride," Yuri said, doing her best to maintain a blasé tone of voice. In truth she was a little worried.

"You said, safe output?"

"Yes"  
"Do they have an unsafe output?"

"I'm not really sure that is a good idea."

"Is little Yuri scared?" Kei asked in a sugary, condescending tone. "Scared of the big, fast car?"

"You're an idiot Kei." She reached for the screen. She was not going to take that sort of crap from Kei. "Okay, we can overpower them for a ninety seven percent increase in performance, but that is going to require special coolants, which we only have a limited amount of."

The car shook again as more control surfaces unfolded from the body.

"How long?"

"Long enough for you to get us to the shipyards hotshot, if you got the guts to really push it." Yuri did not know why she was goading Kei. No, that was not true. She knew exactly why she was goading Kei. What she did not know was why she was bothering to do it.

"Just watch me," Kei said, shifting low in her seat, getting ready for the acceleration.

"Your choice red." Yuri entered the commands.

The car almost left the road as it surged forward.

* * *

They dropped the car off at a high-security parking lot just outside the spaceport. Kei had come close to riding it all the way there but a few kilometres short of the goal Yuri had cut the power back on the motors. Had she not done so it was likely that the motors would have burnt out. As it was the motors probably need a lot of maintenance.

A moving sidewalk took them from the public space sport into the shipyards. Mughi had his usual effect on people; the Angels found that they had a large clear space around them. They showed their identification to the security personnel and were allowed to enter.

The Lovely Angel had just been pulled out of the work hanger and it shone in the mid-day sun. They cycled the port hatch open and entered their ship.

* * *

"So what's new?" Kei asked as she started the pre-flight check.

"Let's see." Yuri picked up a binder full of freshly, printer paper from her seat.

"I like the new seats and a stereo in the cockpit was a nice idea." Kei increased the volume a few decibels.

"We have a new fusion reactor, a Hurricane mark two." Yuri said it like it was supposed to mean something to Kei. "An overall increase of thirty-six percent in available power."

"Useful."

"Here's something you'll like. Total replacement of the thrust system which means a whopping fifty-two percent increase in speed and a forty-five percent increase in acceleration."

Kei was impressed and laughed. "We can take her out on the racing circuit. What about manoeuvring?"

"Just a sec." Yuri flipped through the pages. "Ah here. They didn't do anything directly but the increase in power and speed translates into a sixteen percent jump in overall manoeuvring."

"Crucial. What about my suggestion for the warp drive."

"You don't really think that suggestion had a chance?"

"It might have."

"Okay I'll check." Yuri flipped through the pages. "Living quarters, environmental control, gravity control, weapons systems, ah here it is, warp drive. It says, and I quote, 'We apologize but at this time the inclusion of a Brock/Hogan gravity compensator is impossible.' End quote."

"Oh sure we've put are lives on the line to protect the entire galaxy and they won't even give us a lousy prototype, experimental, ridiculously expensive, grav compensator." She would have liked to have the grav compensator. It would have been useful. "What was that about weapons?" Hopefully they had done something with that.

"No real changes except..." Yuri frowned and began flipping back and forth between pages. "Oh damn, they replaced the targeting computer."

"So, isn't that good."

"Not really, Mughi and myself have been playing around with the old targeting computer for the past few months. Overall we only get a small improvement in targeting and it is a completely different system." Yuri sounded upset.

"Those bastard," Kei said with no feeling. She could not really understand Yuri's distress. "Anything else?"

"Not much. General improvements in living quarters; the auto chef has been replaced, the entertainment system was upgraded and this is nice. They put a new, lighter, composite armour on the vital areas of the ship. A fifty-six percent improvement in protection."

"So we soak up more damage, move faster, dodge better, and while we don't hit much harder it will probably seem like we do. The ship is also a nicer place to spend time in. I think we got a nice deal." Kei was looking over the diagnostic screens. "What's that?"

"What?" Yuri asked.

"I just got a red light on thrust unit number seven."

"Let me check it out." Yuri took an interface cable and plugged it in behind her ear. She turned to the keyboard on the console.

Kei watched as Yuri went to work. The thrust unit warning disappeared from the diagnostic screen.

"What did you do?"

"Corrected a problem in the diagnostic program. There was a little software glitch."

"The last time you did something like that you ended up blowing an entire thrust array on that frigate."

"Why do you always have to bring up my past errors?"

"It's my purpose in life." Kei smiled. "Like remember that time you increased the fuel flow of Francine's car. Totally ignored all the safety specs in the maintenance computer. When the engine blew and set all those fires it was quite an impressive show."

"That should have worked perfectly and that was years ago."

"Only about four."

"Okay but you have to admit that things like that don't happen all that often."

"No I don't."

"Well you should." Yuri sulked.

"Maybe in another lifetime." Kei began the pre-flight check, verifying everything checked out. She was near the end of the list when one of the communication-screens flashed to life. "What now?" Kei asked, looking up at the screen.

"Panic buttons have been activated. Both Tamikia's and Catherine's." Yuri told her. She pulled an interface cord from the console and plugged it into her datajack.

"When two go off that's no accident." Kei rushed the last few checks. The external power feeds were cut, armour plate sliding over the access ports. The support gantry rolled back quickly, slamming into the walls of the hanger with a loud 'clang'.

"This has got to be an inside job," Yuri said.

"Why do you say that?" Kei shunted power to the AG units and the ship began to rise.

"They were in lock down mode. Even if there was an attack the moment we left, they still would not be able to get at Tamikia and the kids. The house computer has also been closed up tight," Yuri explained.

"Sounds bad," Kei said, but she was distracted. "What the hell were those codes," she said, trying to remember. "Oh yeah. Beronavas air control this is Zulu, Charlie, tango, niner requesting double alpha clearance. Transmitting 3WA authorization codes now. Keep this channel clear." Kei transmitted the codes and then turned her attention to piloting the Angel. It would be up to air traffic control to keep anyone out of her way

"Should we call the police?" The Angel turned hard under Kei's hand and began to pick up speed.

"No, if someone is monitoring police bands we loose the element of surprise." Yuri called up navigation programs, which flashed onto secondary screens.

"Good point. What's the maximum speed we're allowed in atmosphere?"

"Mach four and only at an altitude above two thousand meters, and only in emergencies."

"Well it's not as if they can take away my pilots license." Kei brought the trust units on line and the ship shot forward, Nap Of the Earth. "I really do hope that warning light on the thrust unit was a software glitch."

"So do I," Yuri said.

* * *

"Why Pell? Why did you do it?" Tamikia demanded as she was pushed towards the ship, a squashed, black sphere with oversized thrusters.

"Ah the lady looks for a reason for your betrayal," the leader, a man named Daniel, said, looking at Pell. Daniel was tall, attractive, reed-thin man, with long, black hair and beautiful, lavender eyes that could not be natural.

"Why did you do it Pell?" Tamikia demanded once again of her major-domo.

"That's the thing Miss Jinnas." Daniel smiled as he stopped in front of the ship's hatch. "He is not Pell but one of my men. Miss Jinnas meet Thomas. Thomas is sort of an idiot."

"What?" the man Daniel had called Thomas said.

"Mark is dead because you didn't know the girl was armed. You weren't even aware that Miss Jinnas was armed. Fortunately I had the foresight to have her searched, but you should have known none-the-less. "Now Tamikia, if I may be so bold to use you first name," he turned his attention to her, "you see almost a month ago we captured Pell after you sent him on that little fact finding junket. We wiped his mind, keeping a little for a personality program, and put Thomas into his body. Expensive but we are being well paid. Thomas is fairly useless but he does seem to be able to loose himself in others personalities. I think its because he doesn't have one of his own."

"I got you in here," Thomas stated flatly. "Don't talk down to me."

"Oh and that is so impressive." Sarcasm lashed like a whip from Daniel. "You shut off some security programs and convinced on sight security that the ship was supposed to be landing here. Real tough. I suppose that doing it after the 3WA agents left did take some intelligence."

Thomas cringed back from Daniel as if the words could actually hurt him.

"Daniel, something is closing from the west, it's flying NOE very fast," a woman's voice sounded over the com.

"How fast?" Daniel brought his comlink to his mouth.

The Lovely Angel passed overhead, slightly below mach one. The mass of air it pushed ahead of itself was enough to push Daniel and the others against the ship. It tore things off the roof of the house, stirred the water of the pool into whitecaps, and shattered windows of a green house.

"That fast," Daniel barely heard the voice over the other noise.

"In," yelled Daniel as he pushed Tamikia and Thomas ahead of him into the ship, sealing the hatch behind him. "Get us the hell out of here," he called into the com. He felt the ship rumble slightly and then, with a jerk, it took to the air. They won't catch us now, he thought.

* * *

Kei bled speed faster than was safe. She touched controls and vernier thrusters flipped the Angel one hundred and eighty degrees. Bringing the main thrusters back onto line she stopped the ship almost instantly. The restraint harness dug into her chest, forcing air out of her lungs.

Yuri, who had not fully tightened her harness, slammed face first into the instrument panel hard enough to bloody her nose.

"Tamikia and her kids are in that ship," Yuri said, her voice nasally as she pinched her nostrils closed.

"Are you sure?" Kei fought to steady the ship.

"The subcutaneous transmitters I put in show them to be in there."

"Breem Motors six," Kei said as the computer matched the ship. She took the forward firing, gatling cannons off safe.

"Heavily modified for speed." Yuri looked at the readings she was getting. "Probably not much in the way of weapons."

"Too bad for them." Targeting circles appeared on the screen. The Breem began to lift off.

Kei pressed the triggers. The cannons spun out deadly streams of metal that cut trenches into the patio stone and then rebounded off the armour of the Breem.

"Damn." Kei switched over to the lasers mounted in the Angel's wings.

"They're moving out," Yuri said.

"Thanks for the update." Kei brought the thrusters back to life and followed, rolling the Lovely Angel right side up as she did. She fired the lasers but the beams of coherent light glanced off the ship's reflective surface. "Damn it," Kei yelled. "Those bastards are going down. Increasing power to lasers."

"Hold it Kei," Yuri told her.

"What!"

"If you use too much power you could seriously fry that ship. We can't take the chance with Tamikia, and her kids aboard."

"What do you suggest?" Kei took the lasers off line and increased the Angel's speed. The Breem Six was pulling ahead.

"Missiles, right into the engine section. It will shut her down, relatively safely."

"Relatively?"

"Missiles in ship's engines is an inexact science at best," Yuri said sarcastically.

"Aw fuck, do it," Kei said. "I'll call the police now that surprise is no longer a problem."

Yuri nodded and turned to her controls. She armed two low-explosive missiles, perfect for surgical strikes. She linked their sensors into the Angel's targeting computer. It was too easy. She looked up at the status screen.

"Oh hell," Yuri growled.

"What?" Kei kept her eyes on the screens, shadowing the fleeing craft.

"They're broadcasting ECM at incredibly high levels and at very short range. As far as the missiles are concerned it doesn't exist and our targeting computer isn't too sure either."

"Try for a lucky shot." Kei suggested.

"Oh that's all we need, a rouge missile looking for a target."

"Do we have any LOS missiles?"

She checked the inventory. "No." Yuri shook her head. "You're going to have to follow them closely. It's going to take time to set up ECCM."

"You bet."

"Fuck," Yuri said.

"What now?"

"This stupid targeting computer uses entirely different protocols. This is going to take too long. I'm going to lobotomize the missiles and set them for proximity triggers."

"The ship is heading towards the city."

"Great." Yuri shook her head "Just try to keep up with them." Yuri looked down at the small computer screen and began to work.

The two ships flew low, tearing up soil, uprooting trees with the wave of air they pushed in front of them. Kei kept on their tail, never more than twenty meters separating the two craft.

As the entered the city both ships were forced to slow down as they dodged around buildings. The Breem Six's pilot tried to loose them in the canyons of glass and steel but the Angel would not be shook.

"Well?" Kei asked as she swung around a skyscraper, getting in behind the fleeing ship once again.

"Still working," Yuri said. There were a number of safety features on the missiles to keep her from doing what she was attempting.

The Angel shook, the vibration travelling through its hull.

"What was that?" Yuri asked, not looking up from the screen.

"Helicopter, we sheared its rotors off."

"Blame it on them," Yuri said.

"They already took down a small building."

"Wasn't our fault," Yuri said absently.

Kei flipped the Angel onto its side to pass through the narrow space between a row of buildings. The starboard wing tip tore the roofs off several cars before she could increase the ships altitude.

The wave of air the craft pushed ahead of them and the area of low pressure they left behind was too much for many of the windows of the buildings they passed. Glass panes blew out of their frames and fell to the ground below, shattering and spraying the streets with deadly shrapnel.

The other ship turned into a canyon of buildings that stretched for many kilometres through the centre of the city. It began to pull ahead and Kei matched its speed. It was a few seconds later that she noticed that they had broken the sound barrier. This is no good, she thought.

The other ship snapped up into a steep climb. Kei stood the Angel on its tail and went ballistic for a few seconds. The wash from both ships' engines caused even more damage to the area below them.

"We'll hit the atmospheric envelope in forty five seconds," Kei said, grunting a bit due to the high Gs they were pulling. The inertial dampers were having trouble compensating. "If you are going to do something you better do it now."

"I almost got it," Yuri said. "There. Now let's see what the targeting computer can do."

The green circle on the targeting screen suddenly went red and centred on the other ship's engine structure.

"Gotcha," Yuri said.

"Do it," Kei told her.

"Missiles away." Yuri tapped the firing control.

The two missiles dropped out of the bay, their engines already engaged. They were marked with red dots on the Angel's screen.

"Hope this doesn't kill them," Kei said.

"Amen," Yuri whispered. The missiles hit.

* * *

Daniel held onto the acceleration strap as the ship approached space. He wished that they had not had to pull the inertial compensators when they put in all the extra thrust units. The G's the ship was pulling were not pleasant. Tamikia's youngest daughter had already passed out. 

He lost his footing when the ship suddenly shuddered.

The force of acceleration was beginning to ease; they were slowing down. Alarms were going off. He pulled himself up and turned on one of the ship's coms.

"What's happening?" he yelled.

"We lost engineering and the drives," the pilot's voice came out over the com, a touch of panic in her voice.

"What?"

"No engines. No power. No luck."

"Shit," Daniel swore. "All right," he turned towards Tamikia, "get in the escape pod." He pointed to the emergency hatch with his machine pistol.

Tamikia gathered up Susanne and led Catherine across the lurching deck to the escape pod. Daniel followed. There was only one pod; the others had been removed during the refit. Bad planning Daniel thought.

Thomas tried to follow. Daniel grabbed him by his arm and pushed him back.

"What?"

"I'm letting friends die in the bridge you bastard. I've lost some good people in engineering. Do you really think I'm going to save you?" Daniel asked him. The ship was hardly moving now. Soon it would reach its apex and start falling.

Thomas went for the pistol in his waistband. Daniel clubbed him across his face with the machine pistol, the metal splitting the skin on forehead as he fell away. "Idiot," Daniel said and then stepped back into the pod. He shut the hatch, sealing Thomas and the others to their doom. He motioned Tamikia and her children into the rear of the pod then separated himself from them with a security net. He took a seat at the controls and launched the pod.

* * *

"A life boat just launched," Kei said.

"They're on it," Yuri told her.

"Right." Kei deployed the small anti-personnel lasers and locked them on the small craft. The lasers played across the lifeboat's hull, cutting away control surfaces. "It's crippled, can't run now."

"What do you want to do about the Breem?" Yuri asked. The ship was beginning to fall.

"Let's lock it up with the gravity manipulation fields and drag it along with us."

"Good idea," Yuri said as she deployed the fields. "Get us in close."

"On it." Under Kei's control the Angel sped towards the falling Breem, passing close enough to it for Yuri to snag it. The ship shook as it took the other ship in tow, stopping its fall. "Now let's chase down that lifeboat."

"Locking on the transmitters, just follow the bouncing ball."

* * *

Daniel cursed as the small craft stopped responding to the controls. He had hoped to link up with his contact in space, but that was now impossible. All he could do was land and hope a hostage would allow him to make his escape.

He wrestled with the controls for what little manoeuvring was still available and began emergency landing procedures.

Behind him Tamikia was making sure Susanne and Catherine were tightly strapped into the crash couches before she secured herself.

Daniel wished he had had a chance to tighten his own harness.

* * *

"Bet that wasn't fun," Kei said as she watched the lifeboat slide to a halt. 

"Any landing you can walk away from..." Yuri said.

"Assuming they walk away from it."

"Police are showing up." Yuri saw several gun ships closing in on the area.

"Bout time. Might as well give them the Breem."

"Right. Cutting fields." The Breem, no longer tethered to them, dropped almost forty meters before slamming into the ground. "Now that likely hurt."

"They'll probably be alright, assuming that that thing had you basic crash protection. Taking us down." Kei dropped the Angel's lading gear and cycled down the AG units. The ship descended on the diminishing effect fields.

"Let's have a nice chat with some kidnappers." Yuri pulled her pistol from its shoulder holster. A nasty smile was on her face. She vaulted from her seat and took of towards the hatch. "Mughi, come on."

The landing gear adjusted to keep the ship level on the rough ground. Kei powered the ship down and then followed Yuri out.

They closed on the lifeboat quickly, their weapons levelled at it. Mughi loped along off to the side; he would circle around and come in from behind.

The lifeboat hatch swung open and Daniel stepped out. He held Susanne around the waist with one arm, his other hand held a machine pistol pushed into the struggling child's side.

"Ladies." He smiled. "If you'd be so kind to give me the override codes to your ship I'll be off. I'll put the child into an escape pod and leave her just out side of the gravity well." He kept his back to the lifeboat's hull as he slid away from the hatch.

"Go in and make sure Catherine and Tamikia are all right," Yuri told Kei. "I'll handle this." Kei bobbed her head in agreement and entered the ship.

"Let her go." Yuri brought her pistol up.

"You don't seem to get the general idea here do you?" Daniel said.

"Do you actually think I'd be stupid enough to believe you?"

"Well I was sort of hoping." He admitted.

"Let her go or I'll blow your head from you shoulders." Yuri pulled the first stage of the trigger and a targeting laser sprung from the barrel, a red dot appeared on Daniel's face.

Daniel blinked as the laser light hit his eyes. There was doubt in his face, and a little fear as well. He let go of Susanne and then tossed it away. "Okay. You win."

Susanne ran to Yuri, wrapping her arms around the young woman's legs, hugging them tightly. She was crying, Yuri could feel the tears against her skin. She placed one hand on Susanne's head and pulled the trigger.

The round hit Daniel in the shoulder, knocking him back against the lifeboat. He slapped a hand against the wound and slid down the hull, leaving a trail of blood.

Susanne cried harder and held to Yuri tighter. Tamikia, Kei and Catherine came out of the ship.

Kei walked to Daniel, pulled him to his feet, spun him and pushed him against the lifeboat before cuffing his hands behind his back.

The police gun ships began to land.

Yuri slid her pistol back into the shoulder holster. She bent down and gently untangled Susanne's arms from her legs.

"Come on, I promised you a ride in my ship." Yuri said as she brushed hair away from Susanne's eyes.

She stopped crying and looked up at Yuri. "Really?" she asked.

Yuri smiled. The resilience of youth, she thought.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

_ "Okay, yeah I'll give you that they went a bit overboard. I would really like to talk to them about it but to be truthful they scare the hell out of me. Now if you want to talk to them about it... No? I thought not. That's just the way it is with those two. Really, brining up their rather unfortunate past is just so, well, trying."_

-Alleged conversation between a 3WA liaison officer and an official of Amnesty Interstellar.

Kei leaned back in the chair and fought off the urge to put her feet up on the desk. She would have to thank Tamikia for providing her with the office space. Having ones own office provided a nice edge when you had to deal with planetary police forces. Usually the situation was reversed.

"Now what can I do for you corporal Laminsen?"

"That's Captain!" the angry woman snapped.

"How quaint," Kei said. "Now I believe you wanted to discuss something?"

"How about almost a billion in damages." She stood, slamming her hand on the desk. She was a plain woman though her anger brought out certain pleasing aspects in her features. Tall, thin, short blonde hair, blue eyes so dark they were almost black. Her uniform, knee length blue skirt, white blouse and blue jacket, was immaculate.

"Talk to the pilot of the Breem Six," Kei told her.

"I have, and you can bet your ass she's going to be punished for her actions. Something that you should think about." The Captain returned to her seat.

"You know," Kei decided to go on the offensive, "if you bunch of desk jockeys got off your asses Miss Jinnas wouldn't have to request outside help." She smiled sweetly.

"Why you little over-rated, under-dressed, psychopathic slut," the captain said from between clenched teeth. "What makes you think we couldn't handle this?"

"If we had not been here Miss Jinnas and her children would be goddess knows where and you'd be feeling stupid. Well, stupider than usual."

"There would also be several more buildings standing."

"We didn't take down any buildings."

"Your sonic boom certainly did. Several structures had their foundations cracked and have to be demolished for safety reasons."

"The other ship went mach first, we were simply following," Kei told her levelly. Suddenly she was the one fighting to keep her temper.

"Well that is certainly convenient, how about two helicopters and several cars just for starters?"

"An unfortunate accident, err, accidents, all of which stemmed from the fact we were in pursuit of criminals. We followed all the standard procedures. I suppose your people never caused damages during a high speed chase?"

"Not to the tune of one billion! But hell, I suppose we should be happy. Considering your past reputation we're lucky there is still a city there!"

"Say anything else about our 'reputation' and you'll pulling teeth out of the back of your throat." Her voice was surprisingly calm.

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise."

"Do you know the penalty for such a thing?"

"A week on the resort world of my choice, two weeks if I actually do it." Kei looked her straight in the eye.

"You think you're so hot, don't you?"

"At least I can get a date."

"I want the prisoner." The Captain said.

"Pardon?" Kei had expected something else.

"The prisoner. While I extend thanks for you capturing him," she drawled sarcastically, "he is to be turned over to me this instant."

"Fine, once we are finished interrogating him."

"No, now!" The captain pounded a fist on the desk.

Kei decided it would not be worth arguing the point or trying to take a stand.

"I'll go get him for you." Kei stood.

"I'll go with you." Captain Laminsen stood also.

"No you won't. We have him in a secure area of the house. Miss Jinnas has requested that it remain that way so unless you have a warrant..."

"Just go get him," the captain growled.

Kei left the office. She told the two guards standing out side the door to ensure that the captain did not do any site seeing. That taken care of she went to a nearby elevator.

She typed a code onto the keypad in the elevator then took it down to one of the deeper sub basements.

Kei had no idea why Tamikia needed a fully operable med lab and hospital in her house, but she was not really all that curious. It was deep underground, and full of all sort of toys that could convince people to talk. She stopped in front of a door and typed another code into the keypad beside it. If they were going to stay much longer, she thought, they would have to get the biometric scanners set for them.

The room was fairly large, but filled with so much medical equipment it felt cramped. Daniel had been strapped to a table in the centre of the room. The table had been raised so he was in a standing position. The wound on his shoulder had been bandaged but there was evidence of other damage.

On an instrument tray beside him were several laser scalpels, a pneumatic injector and a jumble of drug bottles.

"So has he decided to talk?" Kei asked Yuri.

"Beyond his name, the fact he was hired through a representative and that he was supposed to meet a ship in orbit for extraction, nothing."

"Check the ship?"

"Yes, there was a cargo ship in the location he gave me. It left the same time we took out the Breem. By the time he told me of it, the ship had already warped."

"That's all you've got out of him?"

"Yes."

"Daniel," Kei said as she turned towards him. "Do you want to tell us anything else?" She picked up a laser scalpel.

"Not particularly," he said as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Give it up Kei. The toad has the most amazing resistance to pain. As for drugs, well he has enough filters in his body that the minute I pump something into him its neutralized."

"Can we overload the filters?"

"If you want him to die of an overdose," Yuri told her.

"Will he have time to talk?"

"Unfortunately no."

"We could surgically remove the filters." Kei pressed a switch on the laser scalpel and a blade of light formed around the tip.

"It would take days. There are years and years of work there."

"You are one of the most annoying men I have ever met." Kei turned off the laser scalpel and tapped his nose with it.

"And she's met a lot of men," Yuri supplied.

"I don't need your help." Kei glared at Yuri.

"Sorry."

Kei looked at him. Tough guy, she thought. She had seen it before. Between training and a great deal of bioware, pain and drugs did not work. There were of course always options.

"Daniel here's what we are going to do." Kei tossed the scalpel back onto the instrument tray, knocking the injector off. "First I'm going to drag you down the hallway to the mind surgery theatre. Then I'm going to make a brain tape off that thing you call a mind. Then, just for fun and because it will make me happy, I'll personally ash your body."

"After that Yuri and I will go down to the mind morgue and pick you out a nice new body. Something little and cute I think. You'll love it, and more importantly," she smiled evilly, "so will the people in the prison you're ending up in. After that we will see how well you stand up to pain and drugs."

That got a reaction. His pupils narrowed and his eyes widened. She had, for whatever reason, struck upon something that actually made him afraid. She did not know if it was the thought of losing his body, or the threat of the cute, little thing he might become, but something was tweaking the fear effect.

She was fine with that.

Unfortunately, after a few seconds passed, she could see, as scared as he was, Kei could tell he was not about to talk. He was a bad ass.

Okay, she would just have to ratchet up the stakes a little.

"I have a better idea." Kei smiled again as a better idea did in fact come to her. "Yuri do you remember Strieb?"

"Sure but what... Oh," Yuri said. She smiled a rather unpleasant smile.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Daniel blanche slightly.

"Daniel I've decided against a human body. No, instead we'll go to a pet store and find the cutest, fluffiest little animal there is, put your mind tape into it, and then give you to a cosmetic testing lab."

"You wouldn't!" He was obviously afraid, and a sheen of sweat had broke out across his forehead.

"Try me bitch," Kei said sweetly.

"You know I always felt guilty that poor, innocent animals had to suffer for my make up needs. Much better that a guilty animal suffers," Yuri said in such a completely innocent tone that Kei believed that she might actually go through with it.

"Well Daniel, are you sure you don't want to talk?" Kei asked him. "Here comes Peter Cottontail..." she sung.

"You're a heartless bitch," he growled.

"Oh my virgin ears," Yuri said with mock shock.

"Less insults and more information or they'll be spraying perfume into your pinned open eyes Floppsy."

"Okay already," he shouted. "Enough. We were hired to do a kidnapping on Jinnas and her kids. We were told Catherine was the most important, than Susanne, than Tamikia. If we had to we could kill Tamikia and Susanne. Once we grabbed them we were to link up with a ship that would provide extraction. We would warp to a secured location where we would be paid. That is it, that is all there is to this."

"All well and good," Kei said quickly, wanting to maintain momentum on the questioning. "Who hired you?"

"I don't really know."

"Which name do you prefer, Fluffy of Snowball?"

"I had a pet kitty I loved named Fluffy," Yuri said maintaining her innocent tone. "Don't call him Fluffy."

"Snowball it is."

"It's the truth, I don't really know," Daniel said, panic in his tone.

"I doubt you'd take a job unless you knew who to finger if things went bad. Spill it."

"Whoever hired us went through so many intermediates it was impossible to back trace."

"I'm losing my patience," Kei told him. "You're about to lose your species."

"I knew that we'd have a lot of time while we were waiting for Thomas to scope the place out and get the information he needed to get us in," he said quickly. "I put one of my ferrets onto trying to trace our employer."

"So what did your ferret find out?" Kei asked.

"He'd make a cute ferret," Yuri said.

He looked nervously at Yuri and licked his lip. "She had a lot of trouble tracing the money and the information. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to muddy the trail, quite a few people were killed, and she almost lost it several times, but she did get a name."

"A name?" Kei looked at him.

"We don't even know if the name is the end of the trail, it was just where the trail ended."

"What was it?"

"Melkar."

"What else do you know?"

"That's it, I swear."

"I think you know more. Tell me or get ready to lose your prehensile thumbs."

"I swear that is all I know."

Kei looked over at Yuri. Yuri nodded.

"Okay Daniel boy, assuming that you've been truthful, we're done here."

"And if you decide that I haven't been?"

"Then Daniel, you'll get a visit from my partner and myself and while one would think that having us visit them would be a fantasy come true, it will be a nightmare for you. Understand?"

"Perfectly."

"Excellent." Kei picked up the laser scalpel.

"What are you going to do now?"

"We're going to give you to the police now that we're finished with you."

"You're giving me to the police?"

"They want you. You should probably not tell them anything that you've told us."

"You're asking me to lie to the police?"

"Heaven forbid," Kei said, as if she were startled. "I am just thinking that if you say nothing to the police than the people who hired you are less than likely to kill you for opening your big mouth. You don't want to be killed, do you?" She turned the scalpel on.

"Given a choice I would like to avoid it.

"Then we have something of an understanding, don't we?"

"Yes."

"Excellent." She cut the straps holding him to the table.

"Would you really have done what you said?"

Kei smiled. "I can promise you that we would never admit to having done such a thing."

"I thought as much." Daniel looked, almost as if he was thinking of trying to run. However when his gaze fell upon Yuri, and the pistol she held, his posture relaxed.

Kei cuffed him before he could change his mind.

* * *

The elevator soon had them up in the main levels of the house again. When the doors opened Kei, Yuri, and their prisoner found Captain Laminsen waiting for them.

The two guards Kei had talked to were flanking her with their weapons held in such a way that said they were not pointed at the Captain, but easily could be. Considering the Captain only had a service revolver, and the guards were in body armour, it was a very effective deterrent to her wandering.

"Captain Laminsen, so good of you to meet us, sorry it took so long." Kei smiled. "Here's your prisoner."

"How did he get those bruises?" the Captain asked, indicating his face.

"He fell down," Yuri told her. She was developing an immediate dislike for the Captain.

"I see an accident, like your weapon going off," Captain Laminsen said.

"Oooppsie," Yuri said.

Daniel suddenly smiled. "Ladies, you should really leave this police officer alone. After all, she is rather old, and the poor dear just has no idea how to dress, and..."

"Shut up!" Laminsen shouted into his face, loosing her cool. She reached forward and grabbed him.

Yuri might have laughed if not for the fact she did not like Daniel at all.

"You're going to be spending a very long time in prison." She spun him around and pushed him towards the exit.

"You think so Captain," he said as he was led off. "My lawyers will have me free in a few months top."

"We'll see," the captain said.

"He does have a certain style," Kei said, watching their diminishing forms.

"Not bad looking either," Yuri added.

"Too bad he is such a piece of crap."

"Come on. Let's go talk to Tamikia." Yuri turned and started towards Tamikia's office.

* * *

Tamikia sat at her desk, staring at her computer screens, but not really seeing them.

She was still slightly in shock from the day's events. It had not been the fist time an attempt on her life and freedom had been made, but it was the first time it had come so close to family and friends.

Poor Pell, she thought.

She had met Pell almost ten-years prior. He had tried to hijack one of her freighters, and he had come very close to succeeding. Dumping him out an airlock seemed such a waste of talent to Tamikia. She had offered him a job.

He had worked his way up in her organization, proving his loyalty many times. She had rewarded by making him her major-domo almost two years before. Now he was dead and the bastards who had done it had not even had the decency to let his body die with him.

"Oh Pell," she said softly into the cold light of her computer screens. "Once you were so sharp, they'd never have got you. Soft living took too much of your edge." Not much of a eulogy she thought.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Yuri said from the doorway of the office.

"No." She did her best to smile. "I'm just feeling sorry for myself. Come in."

"Thanks." Kei came in behind Yuri.

"So have you come up with anything?" Tamikia asked after they had taken seats.

"Maybe," Kei said, smiling slightly.

"Don't be coy!" Tamikia snapped, losing control of her emotions for a moment. If only they weren't so young she thought. They could almost be her daughters. Gods, what a mess that would be, she thought.

"Sorry," Yuri apologized.

"No." Tamikia leaned back in her chair and waved away the apology. "No, I'm sorry, it's just that..."

"We understand," Yuri told her.

"The information we have isn't much," Kei began. "We can't be totally sure of it and all we have is one name. Apparently whoever wants you laid down a pretty convoluted trail."

"Tell me what you have. If it doesn't mean anything to me then I have ties into almost every database in the known galaxy."

"Daniel told us the trail ended at a person called Melkar," Yuri told her.

"And that Catherine was their primary target," Kei added.

Tamikia hardly heard what Kei said. Her mind had just about stopped when Yuri had said, 'Melkar'.

"Are you all right?" Kei asked her.

"Sure," She said absently. She had no idea what she was saying.

"I take it you know the name." Yuri leaned forward.

"Pardon?"

"Planetary control to orbiting craft, please respond," Kei tried.

"What?" Tamikia looked at the two trouble consultants, suspecting the confusion she felt showed clearly on her face.

"If you don't warp back in I'll be forced to pump a stimulant or something into you," Yuri told her.

"I'm sorry. I was just lost in thought." Something of an understatement, but her mind was beginning to work again.

"So what's the story?" Kei put her foot against Tamikia's desk and kicked herself and the chair back and meter.

"I do know a Melkar, but I have trouble believing he could be involved. Well that's not entirely true, especially considering what you said about Catherine. I'd rather not believe he's involved." Tamikia was upset, and it was reflected in her tone of voice.

"So fill us in. And cut the cryptic comments, they are annoying."

Tamikia nodded, and actually laughed softly. She supposed that her actions and what she was saying had been confusing. "Okay. Sit back children." Tamikia stood and circled around her desk. "Let Aunty Tamikia tell you a story." She took a seat on the edge of her desk.

"Should I ask for a glass of milk?" Yuri stage-whispered to Kei.

"Why don't you go get your plush cat?" Kei stage-whispered back.

"Where to start?" Tamikia asked the air, spoiling any chance for Yuri to make another remark. "About twenty years ago, sometime after my seventeenth birthday my father ate the barrel of a revolver, which is a colourful way of saying he killed himself. A rather old fashioned way to end one's life but it was a rather old fashioned life.

"That left me in control of his moderately successful company that had dealt mostly in warp drives and thrust units. Being young and foolish I decided to expand.

"I borrowed heavily, using the company for collateral. The fact that I did this with quite a few banks was illegal. I'll not mince words about that. It's amazing what you can get away with when you have a good hacker to cover you trail. But you don't care about this.

"To make a long story short, I spent three years running around the galaxy, buying, investing in and even stealing anything with a profit potential, all the time hoping that my creditors and investors wouldn't suddenly realize what I had done. They found out eventually, but by then it was too late. I was in the fortune one hundred and paying back all my loans was a snap."

Tamikia sighed as she remembered those days. If a law had been made she had felt it was like a personal challenge for her to break it. Insider trading, black mailing, fraud, whatever worked. Of course she had spent four years in court after everything was done but she had had an entire law firm defending her.

"I'm telling you this because it should give you an idea of the type of people I was dealing with, and the fact that my moral compass and judgements were a little skewed at the time.

"Near the end of the first year of that craziness I went to Liamas II to talk to a Vecroy Melkar about purchasing his cybernetics company. I wanted his patents, but he wouldn't sell.

"He was very stubborn but devastatingly handsome and fatally charming. We became lovers and saw each other whenever we could. That became less and less as all my responsibilities took up more of my time. We finally ended it by mutual agreement and parted on good terms.

"Catherine is his daughter, our last romantic meeting was both enjoyable and productive. I was happy enough; I had wanted a child but wasn't to thrilled by the thought of a husband. Vecroy had a lot of good qualities and the bad ones were dealt with genetic manipulation Catherine underwent in becoming an Athena Upgrade.

"We met again three years later, I was buying a shipping line or something similar and he was trying to arrange cheap transport of his products with that line. He had attempted to branch out and hadn't done so well. I offered to buy his company and leave him in charge. That was the wrong thing to say. He didn't take well to pity. This time when we parted it was on very bad terms."

"Did you tell him about Catherine?" Kei asked.

"No, I didn't think he really needed to know and considering how much of a bastard he proved I didn't want him to know about her."

"Have you ever told Catherine any of this?" Yuri asked, leaning forward slightly.

"No, she's never asked. I suppose if she ever asks I'll tell her."

"And who would Susanne's father be?" Yuri asked her.

"That really isn't important to this conversation," Tamikia said.

Yuri looked disappointed with that answer.

"About six years ago Melkar launched a custody suit. I guess he found out about Catherine. It would not have been too hard for him to figure it out, based on the dates and such. He had several sleazy lawyers and some fabricated charges of me being a bad parent. I put one of my law firms on it and re-bribed the judges to ensure a fair trial. I won and that was the last I really heard of him."

"Until today," Kei said.

"Until today," Tamikia agreed.

"So why is he interested in Catherine?" Yuri crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair. "This isn't just him wanting to get his daughter because he wants to be a daddy."

"Six years ago I asked myself that very same question. I put some people on it to investigate. They found out that he had got himself involved with a group who call themselves 'The Imperial Foundation'."

"Sounds like a bunch of vacuum heads," Kei said.

"Aren't they the people who believe all the worlds colonized should be united under the rule of one power?"

"That's them," Tamikia told Yuri. "One of their members will take the exalted position of emperor while the others form the core of the imperial nobility." Tamikia thought the entire concept was stupid and let the disgust in her tone make that clear.

"I think I know who you mean now," Kei said. "Weren't they linked to the SBG a few months back?"

"Yes. After that being a member in The Imperial Foundation stopped being a trendy thing."

"They don't have much power," Yuri said.

"So it appears on paper, or publicly accessible databases but some of the available evidence has suggested that they might have larger holdings than earlier suspected."

"Any idea who might be providing them with funds?" Kei asked.

"Well none of the mega-corporations would, we don't like the idea of a unifying power. Such a government would be a major threat to the free enterprise system we like dealing with, and we'd hate to give up the worlds we own."

"Possibly one or two of the unaffiliated worlds, they could provide a lot of raw resources. One of the bigger sources would be small companies who want more power but just can't get it as things stand now."

"Like Melkar's," Yuri said.

"Exactly."

"So why would Catherine be important to him?"

"He wants my company and Catherine is a very good way to get it."

"So he trades Catherine for your position," Kei said.

"No, that wouldn't work. If anyone else were to take control of my holdings they'd loose a lot of vital contacts I've built up. That's where my real power lies. People put a lot of faith in me. He could use Catherine to force me to do what he wanted but that would be chancy. I would not take kindly to such an attempt." Tamikia's voice went hard and cold.

"Then what would he do?" Yuri asked her.

"Catherine will take control of my company, and more importantly my majority of the shares, when I retire or die. As my daughter she'll no doubt retain the faith that people have in me. If Vecroy had the time he could easily convince her to follow his dreams. She's young enough now that he cold probably do it."

"Especially if you were dead," Kei remarked.

"Why do you think he waited so long since his last attempt?" Yuri asked.

"As I said, I had people watching him after he tried to get custody of her. As time passed I cancelled the surveillance and reassigned the resources. I guess he went to work once he was able to work unobserved."

"Do you have any information on him?"

"Probably but I'll have to dig it all up." Tamikia closed her eyes and sighed loudly. She suddenly felt lousy. "Ladies right now I'm feeling very tired." She stood. "If you'll excuse me." She indicated the door.

Kei and Yuri stood; Tamikia escorted them out of her office and locked the door behind them.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow." Tamikia yawned then walked down the hall towards the family wing. She needed some sleep and some time to think about things.

* * *

"Now what?" Kei asked once Tamikia had disappeared from sight.

"We have an excellent lead, let's see what else we can find out."

"Why don't you check out the databases, see what 3WA and UG intelligence has on this guy?" Kei told her.

"Why do I always have to do the computer stuff?"

"Because you like it."

"Oh yeah."

They set of towards their room; both women were silent, not needing to speak. They heard loud music coming from ahead of them and followed it to its source in the entertainment room.

They stopped in front of the open door and looked in. Catherine way lying on the couch, her face buried in a pillow. From the way her shoulders were shaking Kei was pretty sure the girl was crying.

"What's the matter with her?" Yuri asked.

"She sprayed one of the kidnappers. I don't think it's sitting too well with her."

"Poor kid," Yuri said sadly.

"You're not much older than her."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Yuri asked.

"No, I'll take this. Go and start working with your computers."

"Right." Yuri sounded relieved. "Good luck." She put a hand on Kei's shoulder and then was quickly walking towards their room.

Kei straightened her shoulders and tried to remember something that might be useful in such a situation. She came up blank. She would just wing it and see where that took her.

She walked into the room and took a seat on the couch, beside Catherine.

"How you doing?" It sounded lame to Kei but it was all she had.

"I killed one of them." Catherine sat up, wiped tears from her face. "I took out the pistol, I aimed at his head, like you said. I fired and... and... it... it was... I... I... I..."

Kei reached a hand around Catherine's shoulder and pulled her close. She could guess how bad it had been. Yuri had favoured the hold out pistol for a few weeks. It made some of the messiest wounds Kei had ever seen. They should have given the girl a laser. Twenty-twenty hindsight.

"I understand," Kei said after letting Catherine cry for a while longer.

"I c-c-couldn't fire at the others. I knew I should but I just st-st-stared at the body. I was a coward." Her tone was full of self-disgust.

"No you weren't." Kei told her. "You just did what anyone would have done in your situation. Yuri and I never believed you'd have to use the weapon. We gave it to you because it was something else we could do to ensure security. You confused them, made them waste time searching for things that weren't there. Catherine," Kei shifted the girl around so they were looking at each other, "had they left even a minute sooner we would have never caught them and saved you."

"But I froze. You would never freeze."

"That may be true, but that's because of a lot of experience, very little of it pleasant."

Kei thought back on her first days as a 3WA-training candidate. They had not been particularly enjoyable. The instructors had wanted their students to realize that they were not playing games. Their had been very graphic vids, even more graphic sims, trips to morgues, all so they could get a good idea what death looked like. 'Take a look at this ladies and gentlemen, you'll notice how the heat of the laser caused the water in the tissue to boil off and the small explosion it caused.' Throwing up all over a cadaver was not one of her favourite memories.

"Even now," Kei said, "there are times, after combat is over, after the small details have been taken care of, after I'm safely aboard the Angel, that I have to lie down and shake for a while."

"Don't you get used to it?"

"I hope not. I've met people who have become used to it and they are twisted individuals. I don't want to be like them and neither do you."

"Really?"

"Really." She smiled. "You need some sleep." Kei stood and walked over to the stereo to turn it off.

"What if I have nightmares?" Catherine asked.

"They'll pass, just be strong enough to face them." Kei had to wonder whether it was good advice she was giving but it was all she could offer. She started towards the door

"Kei, will this end soon?" Catherine followed after her.

"I hope so, I think so," Kei said.

"Promise?"

"Sorry." Kei smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Oh well." Catherine turned and continued on to her room.

Kei watched her go and wondered if she had ever been that young.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

_I think Yuri and Kei had a sense of immortality, not surprising considering how lucky they often were. Angels is certainly the right name for them, some greater power seems to be watching over them, a whole flock of guardian angels more than likely. The problem was that the people around them tended to lack such divine protection._

_I suppose they never realized this. Is it any wonder their plans often did not take other people into consideration until it was too late?  
_  
-Philasia Drast's Guns, Bad Karma and Babes (Unreleased, unauthorized and under litigation biography of the Lovely Angels)

Tamikia stepped out of her shower, the soft rug on the bathroom floor absorbing some of the water that dripped from her. She took a towel from the rack and wrapped it around herself.

"So is there anything of great importance?" Tamikia asked the air.

"Not really. You should take care of that problem on the moon of Triesius," the computer told her.

"Why don't you handle it, I have some things that need my personal attention. Has all the data on Melkar been dug up and loaded into accessible files?"

"Yes."

"Good, have a report ready for me at the end of the day."

"Yes ma'am."

Tamikia dried herself off and completed the rest of her morning rituals before leaving the bathroom.

She took a well-tailored, dark grey, business skirt/suit from her closet. It's long skirt ended just below her knees and the jacket had a slight military look to it. A white blouse with a red tie completed the outfit.

She let her hair hang down her back and pulled her bangs back with two small, ebony combs. Almost as an after thought she pulled her pistol from under a pillow on her bead and slid it into the jacket's inner pocket.

* * *

Kei and Yuri were waiting in her office when she entered.

Yuri was wearing a blue dress that matched her eyes; the long skirt almost brushed the floor. Kei had on a pair of tan walking short and an off white shirt. The khaki jacket that had been tossed on the floor was no doubt hers.

"Good morning ladies." Tamikia walked towards the wet bar. "My, don't we look dressed this morning, can I interest you in breakfast?"

"Just some tea if it wouldn't be a problem," Yuri said.

"Espresso," Kei said.

Tea had already been put on as well as coffee. The espresso maker had come on when Kei mentioned her desire for some. Tamikia filled a cup with tea and another with coffee. Yuri came over and took her tea.

"I suppose you want to see what information I have on Melkar?" Tamikia returned to her seat behind the desk.

"A good place to start." Kei walked over to the bar to wait for her drink. "Yuri already dug up some data, let's see if your people have anything she couldn't find."

"Right." Tamikia touched a few of the controls on the steel and glass desk causing two screens to swing out of the desktop and a portion of the glass to become a keyboard. "Vecroy Melkar, age 50, born January seven, 2091, owner of Melkar Cybernetics, no criminal record worth mentioning, citizen of United Galactica, the planet Sesstan, and the planet Teern, which is not a member of the UG."

"Not too exciting." Kei took her cup of espresso from the machine.

"True. Do you want to hear the rather boring stuff, parents, genetics, early schooling?"

"No," Yuri said, taking a seat, placing the cup and saucer on her knee. "I already dug up the boring stuff."

"Okay, then let's take a look at the man." Tamikia brushed her fingers over the keyboard. The windows darkened, some of the room lights went out, and there was a low hum as she activated the holo projectors. A man, a bit under two meters, appeared in the middle of the room. He had blue eyes, blonde hair, muscular build, very handsome, except for his smile, which made his mouth look hard. He wore a very expensive looking pin stripped suit.

"Nice holo projectors," Yuri noted.

"Nice body," Kei said. "Pretty good for a man of fifty."

"This was taken two years ago but yes, he has held up remarkably well," Tamikia agreed. "Very much a self made man."

"Why don't you have anything more recent?" Yuri asked.

"He's made himself very scarce over the past few years, no one really has any idea where he is."

"Which means he could have been on that ship waiting in orbit." Kei looked the hologram up and down.

"And he could also have been almost anywhere in the galaxy with a rock hard alibi." Yuri said.

"If Melkar was behind this, he was very likely aboard that ship. It's the sort of person he is. My psych techs tell me that he is the type who likes to get as close to the action as he can as long as he doesn't put himself at too great of a risk."

"Would have been nice if we could have nailed him that easily," Kei said.

"No such luck." Tamikia turned her attention to the keyboard. "Here's something I'd like you to see." She touched a few keys. The hologram's clothes disappeared.

"Nice, can you make it dance?" Kei asked. Yuri blushed, but did not look away.

"Now girls, let's keep our minds out of the gutters." She touched a few more keys. This time skin on one half of his body faded out to reveal cybernetic limbs: his arms and legs with some torso mods, his eyes and other skullware. "Both his arms and legs, torso enhancements, heart, kidneys, liver, lung modification, eyes, and other things. This is all based on information about four years out of date. My psych techs tell me that he may have gone the way of full conversion by now."

"Self made man indeed," Yuri said.

"Not much into humanity is he?" Kei looked the hologram over once more.

"I'm willing to bet he's a little insane now, but my opinion is no doubt coloured," Tamikia admitted.

Kei put her hands together in the shape of a gun and pointed them at the hologram.

"How do you take down a full conversion borg?"

"Missile launcher or assault cannon," Yuri suggested.

"Might work." Kei pulled her hands apart.

"Do you need to know anything else?"

"How converted was he when you met him?" Kei asked.

"I think he only had his eyes replaced then. I believe he lost his originals in a vehicle accident, decided to go for cybernetics instead of cloned replacements."

"Perhaps he's a megalomaniac," Yuri said.

"Been reading your dictionary again?" Kei taunted.

"At least I can read."

"So do you two have a plan?" Tamikia said, hoping to interrupt a potential argument. The women were almost as bad as her kids at times.

"Glad you asked," Kei said. "Yuri, take over."

"You cancelled a visit to some sort of convention thing on Peledies nine didn't you?"

"How did you know that?" Tamikia could not remember mentioning it to the trouble consultants.

"I checked your calendar," Yuri explained.

"But that's protected."

"Is it?" Yuri asked.

"You'll have to forgive Yuri." Kei told Tamikia. "If the defences aren't trying to fry her hardware, crash her software and burn her wetware she isn't likely to notice them."

"Are you sure there were defences?" Yuri sounded honestly confused.

"Tanis," Tamikia called out, "has there been any unauthorized entry into my personal calendar?"

"No such access is evident," the computer told her.

"Check deeper."

"There is a thirty one percent chance of unauthorized access," the computer conceded.

"Great, she breaks into my system and doesn't even leave a trace." Tamikia scowled at Yuri. She suddenly had an idea. "Tanis, who has access to my calendar right now?"

"Yourself and trouble consultant Yuri."

"I see." Tamikia looked nastily at Yuri. Yuri looked very uncomfortable. Kei sounded as if she were stifling a laugh.

"Sorry," Yuri tried.

"Do you do this sort of thing to everyone that you're assigned to?"

"She likes you," Kei said.

"Lucky me. If 3WA ever decides they no longer want your services you'll have to come and work for me."

"What would you be offering as starting salary?"

"Perhaps we'll talk. As for you original question, yes I did cancel the trip. With all that has been happening I considered it a wise thing to do."

"What exactly is it, the convention?" Kei asked.

"It's sort of a meeting for medium sized corporations. They get together with one or two other corps and make deals that benefit all of them. It's also a chance to trade information and set things up. When I first started out I found it very useful. Now I go just to see which of the up and comers might be a threat so I can buy them out."

"You should go," Kei told Tamikia.

"Why?"

"It will draw Melkar out," Yuri said.

"Pardon?"

"If we don't get him soon he'll simply wait until 3WA pulls us off this case," Kei said.

"We have a month, maybe two at the most before 3WA decides there is no more threat. They'll think we took care of the problem when we took out Daniel or when those three were killed at the party. The stuff we have so far on Melkar won't mean much, especially considering how we got it. We've been running on intuition for the most part and, while 3WA gives our hunches respect, they don't trust them enough to let us sit around waiting for a maybe," Yuri told Tamikia.

"How long can Melkar wait?" Kei asked. "Just from what I've read and heard so far he can probably wait a couple of years before trying again. Catherine will be vulnerable to manipulation for several years yet, especially from a father if she had just lost her mother."

"I could give her warning," Tamikia said.

"You could."

"And for all I know it won't do any good. So, you don't think there's anything else I can do?"

"Who knows?" Kei shrugged her shoulders. "You're the owner of this Mega Corp, can you do anything that would stop him from taking over if he got his hooks into Catherine?"

"No, nothing that would hold up if Catherine backed him. I could make Susanne my primary heir, but that would just make her a target as well."

"We also have to draw him out so we can take him down," Yuri said. "He's a dangerous man, he might decide to kill you and your family simply because you stopped him from getting what he wanted, your psych techs seemed to believe he was more than a little unstable. Once he's dead he's no longer a threat."

"That's rather cold... but true. How do you know if he'll even show if I go to Peledies Nine?"

"Too much of a temptation, if he sees a chance to get you and you kids he'll take it, it matches his psych profile," Yuri told her.

"And what if he sends someone else?"

"He won't." Kei's tone held no doubt. "He won't have time to arrange freelance help and cover his trail. If he can't do that he'll be in on it personally. His psych profile again."

"You're sure of that?"

"Your own people put together the report. Mind you, I never trust these things one hundred percent but it makes sense."

"I don't like the thought of putting my children in such a dangerous position, but for the moment I'll consider it. What's your plan?"

"Can you get a ship here, cruiser class at least, chartered for a run to Peledies Nine?" Yuri asked.

"Yes. I own several shipping lines and having one diverted won't be a problem. I can get something here by tomorrow."

"Make sure it's a ship that wasn't already going there, that will make it less likely Melkar will have agents on it. Once it's here we leave immediately," Kei said.

"Melkar will know what I'm doing a few minutes after I do it, you can't hide something like that. He'll be able to catch us before or after we warp, even if I use secure channels and codes he'll find out in a few hours."

"That's what we're counting on. He probably won't try for us until after we reach the Peledies system. More than likely he'll try to board and take you. We can take him out with the Angel, quick and clean." Kei slammed her left fist into her right palm.

"And if he doesn't show?"

"Then you go to your convention and we come up with another plan," Yuri said.

"I suppose that is something. I'll get to work on getting the ship; if it's going to be big it might as well be one of the best, first class all the way. I'll use secure channels, that will slow Melkar down a bit, make it seem less suspicious. Are you sure that you'll be able to fight off whatever her brings with the Lovely Angel?"

"Trust us," Kei said. Her smile was almost a perfect match for Yuri's smile.

"Why do I feel like I should be running, screaming onto the streets?"

"I'm sure it's just nerves," Yuri said.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

_Enjoy a quiet, restful, and enjoyable cruise on one of our luxury space liners. Our attentive and expert staff will make your journey a true pleasure. Get away from the hassle of everyday life as you travel between the stars._

-Excerpt from Dark Matter Cruise Lines travel brochure

"Dark Lady to Lovely Angel, request an ETA."

"Dark Lady expect us there in about ten minutes," Kei said into the com.

"Affirmative, have a safe trip."

"So what's taking so long?" Kei asked Yuri.

"One of the techs at air traffic control has some problem with my pilot's license, says something about a medical suspension," Yuri said angrily.

"Might be the fact you are missing an eye."

"Like that really matters."

"Well we don't have all day, let me fly her."

"Don't worry, we'll get clearance any second now."

"Tower to Lovely Angel, you have clearance," a man's voice came over the com. He sounded a little surprised.

"Thank you." Yuri shut off the com. "Geek." She stuck her tongue out in the direction of the tower.

"I wonder how that happened?" Kei asked knowingly as she began to make final course adjustments. "As if I didn't know."

"Little computer program I was saving for a rainy day." Yuri engaged the AG units.

"Isn't that illegal?" Tamikia asked over the intercom. She and her children were down in the ready room.

"Only if I'm caught. I'm such a bad girl." Yuri powered the thrust units up and the Angel began to climb steeply.

"Go faster," Susanne called out over the intercom.

"Yuri's too much of a wimp," Kei said.

"Wimp? I think not."

The Angel's thrust plates went from pale blue to almost black as the ship went ballistic. Kei and Susanne were impressed with the sudden speed, Tamikia groaned slightly, Catherine found herself torn between joy and terror. Yuri wished that the inertial compensators had a bit more power.

She watched as the internal indicators began to creep into the red. She began to wonder if exceeding the safety margin had been a good idea. Then, suddenly, they were out in space and Yuri took the opportunity to shut the engines off, letting the craft speed towards the Dark Lady on inertia.

"Approaching Dark Lady, alter our course two degrees to port, four degrees dorsally"  
Kei told Yuri. Yuri made the corrections.

"Any problem getting the ship here?" Yuri asked into the com.

"None," Tamikia answered.

"What about the passengers?"

"Most weren't at all happy by the sudden change in plans but new tickets with a bump in level made most of them happy."

"Sounds expensive," Kei said.

"Minor expense," Tamikia told her. "I think I used up a weeks interest on one of the accounts set up for that sort of thing."

"Nice ship," Yuri noted as they closed on the Dark Lady. Information about the ship was being projected on a screen.

"Very," Kei agreed, as she looked at the information the computer was supplying.

The Dark Lady was a Darnell Three. It was just over a kilometre in length, had a shape like a rectangular box but with smooth curves instead of sharp corners. It looked streamlined, but no one would actually try to make planetfall with it. It was painted a light grey, and the many portholes along its length were points of lights.

No one said anything for several minutes, looking out at the spectacle in space. Yuri looked at the laser range indicators and she to cut her velocity. She had to be careful; in space there were so few other points of reference that it was too easy to misjudge distances.

"Dark Lady to Lovely Angel," came from the com. "Do you wish us to take over for docking?"

"That won't be necessary. Open the landing bay up, we're coming in," Yuri said.

"Affirmative, welcome to the Dark Lady."

Yuri slid the Angel under the much larger ship and slowed her ship considerably. They skimmed the keel for almost six hundred meters until a patch of light showed them the opening into the cargo bay.

She brought the ship to a halt under the entrance then activated the ventral thrust units on minimum power for half a second. The Angel drifted partway into the bay. Cargo clamps gently locked onto the ship and pulled it fully into the ship. The hatch below them closed, sealing the bay from space.

"Air pressure almost at standard level," Kei said as she looked at one of the screens.

"Very fast." Yuri began to power down the ship.

"How long would it take us to get out of here in an emergency?"

"Once we were in the Angel?"

"Yeah."

"Let's say ten seconds for emergency start up, five to have the hatch open, two if we blow it, and six to get out."

"Sounds a bit too fast, I'd say twice as long."

Yuri shrugged her shoulders as she put the Angel in hibernation mode.

"Oh look," Kei said, "the welcoming committee is here. Let's go." She undid her restraint harness and got out of her seat. Yuri followed after her.

They met up with Tamikia and her children at the port airlock.

Kei overrode the safety features and cycled both doors of the airlock. A wave of air rushed into the Angel, ruffling hair and clothes, as the pressure within and without equalized.

Tamikia took the lead, walking down the short set of boarding stairs onto the hard deck.

Waiting for them were a group of people, all dressed in uniforms. The Captain was in a dress uniform; black pants, a white shirt with black tie, and a double-breasted, black jacket with the gold bars of his rank on his shoulders. It was a sharp uniform Yuri decided.

The Captain himself was a handsome man, rugged good looks. Tall, short brown hair showed from under his hat, hard blue eyes, and cleanly shaven.

Behind him were three men and two women. The uniforms they wore and the stun batons at their belts made it obvious they were ship's security.

The Captain was not smiling, and he was holding himself tense. This is not a happy man, Yuri thought.

"Miss Jinnas." He stepped forward and dropped his head slightly.

"Captain," Tamikia said.

"I am not pleased with the situation," he stated flatly.

Yuri was not surprised by his feelings, but that he stated them so openly was a little shocking. It was almost as if he forgot that it was Tamikia who actually owned the ship. She supposed that he must be very good at his job.

"I understand Captain Halson, but I had need."

"You are aware that quite a few passengers complained about the unexpected change in destination. More than half have left."

"And all of them have been compensated for the inconvenience and most will not hold any bad feelings towards this ship or the Line."

Captain Halson looked at her for a second, saying nothing. Then, "You must have a very good reason for pulling my ship off her scheduled run. I accept that Ma'am, but for the record, I don't like this."

"Noted, and I do apologize for this," Tamikia's told him.

His gazed flicked over to her children then passed them by to rest on Kei and Yuri. Yuri might have liked having him look at her if he had not narrowed his eyes suspiciously as soon as he saw them.

She supposed it could be the way they were dressed.

She wore a pair of loose black pants that were tied off just below the knee. White stockings continued down her calves, and she wore high-heeled black pumps. A white blouse with a black jacket, the sleeves rolled up past her elbows, completed the outfit. Yuri had added a pair of dark sunglasses to hide her missing eye, and her hair was drawn back with a white ribbon.

Kei had on a pair of faded jeans, low boots, and a red t-shirt with the words, 'KILLING FOR LOVE' in black letters on the front. Her leather jacket looked like someone had crashed a car into it several times, which was the case.

"If you will come with me." He said, before the silence could get uncomfortable.

"Certainly," Tamikia said.

The Captain sent two of his security personnel ahead of them while the other three fell in behind them. He led them into one of the service corridors instead of using the main passageways.

The Captain stayed beside Tamikia, answering the few questions she asked of him. Susanne and Catherine walked just behind their mother, talking quietly. Kei had fallen in behind the children while Yuri walked in front of the Captain and Tamikia.

Yuri noticed that one of the security people ahead of her was using a comlink, no doubt in touch with the bridge where personnel would be scanning these corridors. That pleased her, the better ship security was the easier her job.

They exited the service corridors into a public corridor near the centre of the ship.

"I've set aside the entire set of secure suites for you. You're close to the bridge so you share its security. You're far from the outside skin of the ship, there's a life support unit on one side of the suites and the main galley on the other. No one will be able to obtain entrance to the suites except through the doors, which will of course be guarded," the Captain said.

"What about ceiling or floors?" Kei asked.

"Above us is the ship's computer core, high security, below us is engineering, high security."

Kei nodded. "Sounds good."

The Captain led them to a set of doors, outside of which stood a pair of security officers. They saluted when the Captain came to a stop in front of them. "These are the guests who will be occupying these rooms," he told them.

"Yes sir," the guard on the right said. The one on the left placed his hand on a security scanner and unlocked the doors.

The doors open, they passed through, into the corridor beyond. There were three doors on each side of the corridor, obviously leading to the suites.

"All of the suites are unoccupied, the doors can be coded to thumb, palm, voice, or retinal prints, or any combination of the above."

"Thank you Captain," Tamikia said.

"You're welcome ma'am, now if you'll excuse me." He turned and left the hall, closing the door behind him. The security personnel left with him.

Kei reached out and touched the lock plate of the door next to her. "Wait here," she said, drawing her pistol from within her jacket. She entered the room.

"Security sweep," Yuri explained.

After about a minute Kei exited the room. "It looks clean. You wait here, I'll sweep the rest of the suites." She herded Tamikia, Catherine and Susanne inside the suite.

"We're probably safe here," Yuri told Kei.

"Probably," Kei said.

"I'll run a detailed scan on this suite while you run a general sweep on the others."

"Works for me." Kei began to pull small components from her pocket and put them together into a 3WA scanner.

Kei left and Yuri closed and locked the door. She let her carry on bag fall to the floor and drew her pistol from its shoulder holster. Then she began to search the room, using a scanner of her own to be certain.

Yuri had just finished sweeping one of the suite's bedrooms when Tamikia called out to her.

"Yes?" Yuri asked.

"Why are you wearing those sunglasses?"

"I don't want anyone to know where my blind side is. These hide the patch." Yuri touched the frame of the sunglasses.

"Won't they hamper you?"

"No, the opposite really. They are full of visual enhancers and actually give me decent enough peripheral vision for the lost eye, not to mention IR, low light, flare compensation, and other things," Yuri told her.

"Crucial," Catherine said from the couch. "Can I get a pair?" she asked her mother.

"Maybe," Tamikia said. "Perhaps I'll have a factory construct them and start selling them." She looked at Yuri for several seconds. "I don't suppose that you would be interested on doing some commercial spots for me?"

"Me?"

"You'd be good for it. And once parent groups, and religious groups, and others of their ilk begin to protest, sales would take off."

"I'll have to think about it."

"Don't take too much time." Tamikia smiled. "Or I'll have to make the offer to Kei."

"Kei? I suppose if you want to attract a lower class of customer." She smiled. "Now let me get back to work." Yuri continued her search of the suite, checking out the small kitchenette.

"Can we look around the ship?" Susanne asked.

"Not yet," Yuri called. "Kei and I have to take a look around first just to make sure everything is alright."

"Oooooh," she whined.

"That's very unpleasant," Tamikia told her daughter.

"Were not going to have to spend the entire trip in here are we?" Catherine asked.

"Considering that the trip is only going to take eighteen hours all told I don't see that staying in the cabin for the entire time will be that much of a chore," Tamikia said.

"Don't worry," Yuri reassured the children. "I'm pretty sure that there won't be any problems but we do to be certain of that." She walked over where she had left her carry on bag and picked it up.

Taking a seat on the couch, Yuri opened the bag. She reached in and pulled out a sub-machinegun. She put it on safe and then began to strip the weapon.

* * *

Kei checked out each of the suites, running scans, looking for anything that should not be there. Stealthed assassin drones, information taps, explosives, and anything like that. It took her an hour and when she was finished she felt confident that the suites were as safe as any place.

She took the scanner apart as she stood outside of the doorway to Tamikia's suite. The door opened before she could put her hand on the call plate.

"Everything good?" Yuri asked her.

"Looks good."

"Okay. Tamikia and the kids are happy enough here. Want to take the suite directly across?"

"Sounds like a good plan. You want to look around now?" Kei asked.

"Sounds like a plan." Yuri walked over to the coffee table and picked up the SMG from it. She walked over to Tamikia, who was sitting at the suite's workstation, and handed her the weapon. "The breach is empty, use it if you have to."

"Thanks." Tamikia said absently as she took the weapon and laid it on top of the computer, hardly slowing her work.

"Yuri and I are going to recon the ship, make sure everything is good."

"Have fun," Tamikia called, not looking away from her work.

Kei and Yuri exited the room, making sure the door was locked behind them. They left the suites and had a quick conversation with the security personnel, just to make sure they were all on the same page. That done, Kei and Yuri split up to cover more ground.

* * *

Yuri worked her way from mid-ship to the bow. Her first stop was in the casino.

She visited the cashier's window and charged ten thousand in chips to Tamikia and then made her way to the roulette table.

She didn't pay too much attention to where she placed her chips, more interested in the people. People who frequented casinos were often in need of money. If Melkar had an agent on the ship they could possibly find the bodies they needed here.

Most of the people in the room were passengers, just interested in having a little fun. Some were professional gamblers. The professionals would be the ones she had to worry about.

"Ma'am," the man at the roulette wheel pushed a stack of chips at her, "would you like to make another bet?"

"No thank you," Yuri said as she placed the chips on a tray and left the roulette wheel for a better vantage point.

A place opened up at the crap table so she took it. She took the dice and began to bounce them across the table.

Several throws later she had over a hundred thousand and had seen enough. She was about to put down the dice when a woman in ships uniform approached her.

"Excuse me Miss, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course," Yuri said in a friendly tone as she passed the dice to the next shooter.

"Please, come this way."

She led Yuri to a small, private alcove near the pit bosses station. "May I see some ID ma'am?"

Yuri took her 3WA ID from her pocket and handed it to her. The woman frowned as she looked at the card.

"Miss, according to our scans you are in possession of a cybercomputer."

Yuri suddenly knew what the woman's concern was. "Oh. Well, it is not active."

"That my be so, but we have strict guidelines about such things. As your ID does not list any of your modifications..."

"That's 3WA policy, with permission from the United Galactica."

"I am aware of that, but without that information, we cannot be certain that you are not, well, taking advantage of an unfair ability. I'll have to ask you to leave." She handed the card back to Yuri. "I'm sorry."

"Alright," Yuri said as she shrugged her shoulders, picked up the tray with her winnings, and went to the cashier's window. After getting them credited to a ships account she left the casino to continue her examination of the ship.

She had seen everything she needed to see in the casino anyway.

* * *

Kei headed for the first class lounge at the stern of the ship. She stopped at the pool for a quick look, personal reasons prompting her, before continuing on.

There was a crewmember at the entrance to the lounge and he took it into his head to stop Kei. Kei was not too surprised at his actions, considering how she was dressed.

"Excuse me Miss, I'm sorry you can't go in there."

Kei considered her options. She could place her palm on the reader by the door; since she had already recorded it into the lock of the suite, her palm print would verify her as a fist class passenger. She could pull out her 3WA ID and explain to the man there were few places that she could not go. The same could be done if she pulled out her pistol, but it would be less pleasant, for him at least.

She locked her gaze with his and simply stared him down. He began to look nervous, even scared. Finally he stood aside to let her past. Kei smiled and drew her hand across the palm reader as she passed, so he would not call security. She did not want to give security any unneeded distractions.

The lounge was big. Its far wall and the roof were part of the ship's hull, and those were transparent, giving everyone in the lounge a panoramic view of the space behind them. She could see the pale blue glow of the Dark Lady's huge engines to either side of the window. It had a dangerous beauty to it, Kei thought.

Deftly removing a glass of champagne from a passing tray for a bit of camouflage she began to move through the crowd. She dipped a finger into the effervescing liquid and placed the finger in her mouth for a taste. Not bad she thought, but she did not drink any.

The people in the lounge were rich or famous. Or they wished they could be. She recognized two simsense stars, an aging rock musician, and a talk show host amongst the many people in the lounge. Most of the people in there would not even consider getting involved in anything highly illegal. And most of them would be bad at if they did.

The ones who were not rich or famous could be dangerous. Some people would do almost anything to get their next first class ticket.

She wandered through the room, turned down several offers ranging from dinner, to something involving leather and chains. Satisfied there was nothing else worth checking she made for an exit. Before leaving she dropped the champagne glass and its contents into a potted plant.

There were other places she had to check out.

* * *

Almost two hours after starting their sweep the trouble consultants met mid-ships, in the lower decks. 

"What do you think?" Kei asked.

"If Melkar has an agent aboard she, or he, will be able to find bodies. I doubt they'll find any talent."

"I agree, though as cannon fodder they could still pose a problem. Do you think its probable he has an agent aboard?"

"Tamikia owns several Lines, each with a large number of ships. I think putting one on every ship would be expensive but he still may have done it."

"I myself doubt he has anyone aboard," Kei said. "I don't think he'd waste time with a cruise ship."

"I suppose. Here, keep watch for a minute, I want to try something." Yuri removed a slim wallet from an inside pocket of her jacket. She approached a door marked 'DATA TERMINAL' and 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY'.

"Want me to time you?" Kei asked.

"No need," Yuri told her.

She flipped open the wallet and took out a card key. She slid the card into the key slot. Slipping a small laser pick over the card into the slot she triggered an override protocol. The door slid open. Yuri put the key and pick back into the wallet and the wallet back into her pocket.

She took a seat in front of the computer terminal and hacked into the system. It took her only a few seconds to call up the data she wanted: A list of everyone who had brought weapons aboard, who had turned them over to the crew and who had retained them.

The list was short, and she discounted most of the names almost instantly. It always surprised her that so few people carried weapons. Didn't they know that the universe was a dangerous place, she wondered, as she called for a printout.

"Will that be of any use?" Kei asked from the doorway.

"Doubtful, but you never know." Yuri shut the computer down and got out of the chair.

"Can you be sure that no one snuck any weapons onboard?"

"Pretty tough. They have chem sniffers, weapon detectors and general scanners in the walls of most of the corridors. They even have a complete list of the weapons we brought aboard, right down to that ceramic, Gerber, lock blade of yours."

"You're a useful thing to have around you know," Kei said as Yuri closed the door. "Makes having to constantly save your life almost worth it."

"Thank you ever so much," Yuri said sarcastically."

"Let's go."

They did.

* * *

"I think I'm going to hit the pool for a while before dinner," Kei said as she stood up from the couch. They were in Tamikia's suite, having just talked over what they had discovered in their recon.

"Well since the casino is no longer an option for me I think I'll go with you," Yuri said.

"What did you do?" Kei asked her.

"It was more what I didn't do, but they were afraid I might."

"What?"

"Don't worry about it."

"You don't mind a third?" Tamikia asked. "For the pool?"

"Not at all," Kei said.

"What about me?" Catherine asked as she came out of the bedroom. "I don't feel like going to the pool."

"Me neither." Susanne chimed from where she had been playing a video game. She had obviously decided she wanted to see the ship now.

"We can get bodyguards from ship security." Kei told Tamikia. "I doubt that they will be in any danger anyway."

"You'd trust the bodyguards?" Tamikia reached for the phone.

"I'll know when I see them."

Tamikia picked up the phone and made the arrangements. Kei and Yuri went to their suite to change.

* * *

Kei had changed into her black, string bikini and put a robe on over it. Then she returned to Tamikia's suite to await the bodyguards. When they arrived she gave them a look over.

Both women wore ships uniforms, their rank insignia indicating ensigns. They looked like any other member of the crew. It took Kei a few seconds to pick out their concealed weapons and she could see the way they held themselves in a relaxed, yet ready manner that spoke of professionals. Kei nodded at Tamikia.

Tamikia gave each a few quick instructions then let her children go.

"Why's Yuri taking so long?" Tamikia asked.

"She has a few things to take care of, she'll be here momentarily."

As if on cue Yuri came through the door.

"Well, let's not stand around, we have leisure time to use," Yuri said.

Tamikia grabbed a medium length robe and followed the trouble consultants out of the suite.

Both Kei and Yuri were wearing bikinis, Yuri's blue, and shorter robes than those the ship supplied.

Tamikia felt herself beyond the bikini stage and instead had chosen a one-piece bathing suit that flattered her.

The pool was in a large space near the stern of the ship, almost completely filled by a competition sized, swimming pool. There were three bars in the pool area; one was in the middle of the pool on a raised island. The three women seated themselves in comfortable lounge chairs near the pool's deep end.

On the ceiling was a holo projection of a blue sky with a sun that bathed the room in harmless light. Impossible to tan, and more importantly, to burn.

After several minutes Kei attracted a waiter so they could order drinks.

Tamikia relaxed, obviously wanting to take advantage of the peace of the moment.

Kei watched the people with more then a casual interest for a short time before deciding that no one there was going to offer much of a threat. She also suspected about a quarter of the waiters were really ship's security. Nice to know they were around.

Yuri took an info pad out of her bag, set it on her lap then turned it on.

"I could get use to this," Kei said, taking a sip of her semi-alcoholic drink.

"I hope you didn't set me on this course just because you wanted to lounge around a pool," Tamikia told her.

"This is just a fringe benefit." Kei smiled.

"Nice to know. Of course after this is all over you'll have to go back to your drab existence."

"So true," Kei lamented. "You don't think you could adopt us do you?"

"Might not be a bad idea. At least then I could beat some good manners into you two." Tamikia said it as if she was savouring the thought.

"Would you really?" Kei feigned excitement in her tone.

"Careful what you say Kei." Yuri didn't look up from her info pad. "All we need is some scummy reporter to hear you and the gossip rags are printing up sick stories about us... Again."

"Is that why you're reading a trashy gossip rag?" Tamikia asked Yuri as she looked at the info pad. "Elvis spotted on Alpha Centauri. What the hell is Elvis?"

"I'm not reading it," Yuri told her.

"Oh I see, your just staring at it while contemplating the mysteries of the universe."

"The info pad is a very powerful hacking deck," Yuri said. "The information is being projected on the inside of the lenses of my glasses."

"You're kidding?"

"No. Earring comlink gives me a wireless ling. A fine fibre optic cable runs from the earring into the arms of the glasses into an interface plug in my neural jack."

"That sounds very impressive. 3WA issue?"

"No. Yuri came up with the design herself a few years back when she realized that pulling out a deck was a bad thing to do in certain situations," Kei told her.

"Such as?" Tamikia asked.

"Such as when a friend tells you it's perfectly alright to borrow a car and an hour later a cop has pulled you over and is running a check on the car which is in fact stolen," Yuri told Tamikia.

"That was so choice though. You used the cop's own link with the police computer to purge all the charges and records then send him away on a false report so he can't even give us a ticket for speeding."

"You two are going to be a bad influence on my children aren't you?"

"Probably." Kei said, leaning back in her chair. She was really enjoying herself.

"I wonder where they are?" Tamikia asked, a slight hint of worry in her voice.

"Just give me a sec." Yuri said. "All of the public areas of the ship are monitored. It take long to find Susanne and Catherine."

A few seconds later Yuri said, "Susanne is in the ice cream parlour on deck two putting a reasonable dent in a large desert."

"She's going to ruin her appetite for dinner," Tamikia said.

"Catherine is in one of the observation decks talking to her bodyguard. Let me activate the directional mike on the camera and, yes, that's got it. Seems right now sex is the topic." Yuri said nothing for several seconds. "Pretty harmless, but Kei, the bodyguard is really cutting up your previous advice to Catherine."

"Bitch."

"I'm going to have a very hard time fixing all this," Tamikia muttered.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

_It fascinates me that the sex lives of the Lovely Angels have received so much attention. I have a good idea as to why but exactly who started the stories about their sexual tastes and how flexible those tastes are is still a mystery to me._

_I suspected that it might be the gossip rags but inquiries have been less then profitable. I did get a suggestion to take a look towards the Catholic Church._

_Vatican II had no comment but to condemn my soul to hell and other such stuff that I ignored. The inquisition hit-team that started dogging me a few days later was much harder to ignore. I may have upset someone._

-Philasia Drast's Guns, Bad Karma and Babes (Unauthorized, unreleased and under litigation, Biography of the Lovely Angels)

One of the waiters pulled back Yuri's chair for her then slid it forward for her to sit. Yuri reached down and pushed the hem of her black cocktail dress down her legs. Tamikia and her children as well as Kei were being seated around the table. Kei and Yuri were seated on opposite sides of the table from each other.

"High life." Kei mouthed, Yuri laughed quietly. Kei was wearing short, black skirt, with a white blouse and a black jacket. Neither of them were being overly imaginative in clothing, but the dinner was not supposed to be a fashion show.

Captain Halson came up to the table and made a half bow to his guests before taking a seat.

He was wearing his dress uniform again. He did not look upset as he had earlier and Kei thought it improved his looks quite a bit. Yuri noticed a ring on his finger, she couldn't identify the symbol but it looked like a family crest.

As he took his seat at the head of the table he noticed Yuri looking at him. He smiled at her; Yuri dropped her gaze to the tabletop.

"Good evening, ship time that is." He smiled. "I hope you all enjoy your meal."

He then introduced all the guests around the table, and Yuri promptly forgot them.

The waiters began to serve the dinner. The Captain was an excellent host, keeping a pleasant if meaningless conversation going around the table.

Yuri was not sure what she was feeling; she had not felt that way around an attractive man for some time. He made her feel like a sixteen year old.

"So I heard you did very well at the casino," Halson said to Yuri.

"Sort of," Yuri said, feeling her cheeks grow warm, but she met his gaze. Oh god, she thought, his eyes are perfect.

"It's too bad you had to leave."

"I did fairly well at the casino," A young man near the end of the table said, obviously trying to get Yuri's attention. "Won a few hundred."

Yuri and the Captain shared a smile as they continued to stare into each other's eyes.

"Casino?" Tamikia asked.

"I was working." Yuri explained, breaking her gaze with the Captain, turning to face Tamikia.

"Where did you hide the cards this time?" Kei asked as she took a fork full of salad off her plate.

"I didn't play any card games." Yuri shifted her gaze to Kei and stared daggers at her.

"I could teach you a few." Another young man said to her. His dinner companion, an attractive but plump woman, shifted slightly and suddenly a pained look crossed the young man's face. Yuri restrained the urge to laugh at him.

The Captain excused himself near the end of the meal and left the dining room. Yuri mumbled something that sounded like an apology and left the table half way through her desert.

* * *

Tamikia watched at Yuri walked away. "Is she going to be alright?" she asked Kei as she put her coffee cup down.

"I hate to tell you this mom," Kei said, a piece of cheesecake halfway to her mouth, "Yuri isn't a virgin any more." She put the desert in her mouth and closed her eyes, obviously savouring the taste.

"That's not what I meant. Well not exactly."

"Yuri may not look it but she doesn't need anyone looking after her," Kei paused, "usually."

"Can we go now mom?" Catherine asked her mother. The bodyguards were standing off to the side of the table. Tamikia nodded and her children were quickly gone.

"Want to go get a drink?" Kei asked.

"Sure, why not."

"We'll put it on Yuri's tab." Kei smiled as she stood.

"How much do you think she won at the casino?"

"Well if we can't get more than a couple of drinks we'll know it wasn't much."

They headed towards one of the nearer bars.

* * *

Vincent looked up at Yuri. She held herself up above him, eye closed, moving her hips up and down slowly, her partly opened lips forming a smile, a flush of red across the bridge of her nose and cheeks.

The eye patch had been a surprise; he had thought the glasses more of a disguise. The fine traces of bruising around the patch told him the injury was, like the others he had seen, recent. She was healing unnaturally fast but there were still traces.

As ridiculous as it was he felt a protective urge towards the young woman.

Then he had no time for extraneous thoughts as Yuri increased the speed of their lovemaking. He closed his eyes and let the sensations take him away.

* * *

Yuri traced a finger along Vincent's jaw. He opened his eyes and turned to look at her.

"Aren't you satisfied yet?" he asked, exasperation in his voice.

"Satisfied? We're not even halfway through yet," she told him. Yuri stretched in the bed, enjoying the feel of silk sheets sliding against her skin.

She looked around the room. She had liked it the moment she had entered. The suites they had were well decorated, but the Captain's cabin had a more personal atmosphere to it. The interesting and intriguing touches made the place nice to be in.

Vincent wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him. Yuri slid up against his body, feeling his interest renew.

"Could you tell me something?" he asked after a gentle kiss.

"As long as it isn't about my rumoured sexual past," Yuri told him, a little breathlessly.

"I'll save those questions for another life time. Why are you here?"

"I'm escorting Tamikia and her family to Peledies nine. You know that."

"That's what you say but, no offence, you are 3WA and you are more than bodyguards. I guess what I really want to know is that if you are putting my passengers, my crew and my ship in danger."

"Do you think I would truly do that?" Yuri felt hurt.

"You wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, but I feel you might be willing to take the chance."

"I can't predict the future. I doubt your ship will be in any danger. But, if there is going to be a problem, it will likely happen after you warp," Yuri told him, not meeting his gaze.

"I like you Yuri, I'd hate if I had to hate you," he said it softly but it tore at Yuri like he had yelled it.

Yuri closed her eyes on some tears, steadied her emotions. She did not like it when innocents were hurt; though she knew in the end it was not her fault. The Central Computer had cleared her and Kei every time. Now Vincent seemed to think that their presence meant that his ship was doomed. What really hurt was that he could be right even though they did not think the ship was in danger.

Vincent pulled her to him again and whispered reassurances to her. Then they made love again, forgetting earlier questions and upsets.

* * *

"Do you know where my other stocking is?" Yuri asked from the bed as she clipped the one stocking she had to her garter belt.

"Here." Vincent took the black, silk stocking from where it hung on the lamp and handed it to Yuri.

"Thanks." Yuri slid her leg into it.

Vincent had taken a shower and was already dressed in his work uniform. Plain grey pants, a white shirt he left open at the collar and a grey jacket with several convenient pockets. He was also armed.

"You are such a fascinating young woman," he told Yuri.

"Well since we've already slept together I'll take it that that isn't just a compliment to get me into your bed." Yuri stepped into her dress and pulled it up her body. "Can you close this for me?" She turned around and pulled her hair over her shoulder.

Vincent pulled the material at the back of the dress together and activated the seal tabs.

Yuri let her hair fall back into place as she turned around, put her arms around him, and kissed Vincent deeply.

When Yuri released him Vincent smiled at her then began to laugh.

"What is it?" Yuri asked, very curious as to what he found so funny.

"I just took a shower and now I smell like sex again. My first officer is bound to give me a hard time about this."

"I could shoot this person for you," Yuri said absently as she scanned the room for her shoes.

"Not this time, I need her too much."

"Should I be jealous?" Yuri took a seat on the bed to put her shoes on.

"Maybe." Vincent took his hat from a table by the door. "Farewell," he called to Yuri as he left his room.

"Bye," Yuri said, wondering where her handbag was.

* * *

Yuri almost floated back to the suites. She felt centred and relaxed. There were, probably, better ways of achieving such a state than sex, but none of them nearly as much fun as far as she was concerned. She remained her calm even when Kei leaned out of one of the unoccupied suites and pulled her in.

"Problem?" Yuri's tone was unconcerned.

"Enjoy yourself?" Kei smiled at Yuri.

"Perhaps," Yuri said.

"Very naughty, I'm telling."

"Jealous?"

"Not really. Vaguely interested would be a better description. Was he good?"

"A lady doesn't discuss such details."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Go away Kei, I'm going to take a hot shower."

"You probably need one. The ships going to be warping in about ten minutes, so make that shower quick."

"Right."

* * *

The ship was just about to warp when Yuri entered Tamikia's suite. She had showered and changed into her uniform. Kei saw that Tamikia winked at Yuri. Yuri blushed. 

A soft tone chimed through the cabin then a soft voice announced the ship was about to warp.

Yuri walked into the kitchenette and opened the fridge a moment before the ship warped. Reality went strange for a nanosecond, the powerful drives playing havoc with the dimensional planes.

Some people suffered bad effects from warps up to the point of having to be sedated. Kei actually enjoyed it, and knew that Yuri did not mind it. Tamikia appeared relaxed enough.

"We've entered the danger zone," Kei drawled.

"Big surprise." Yuri took a seat on the couch and opened the bottle of juice she had taken from the fridge. "Where are your children?"

"Susanne's napping and Catherine is reading a book she picked up."

Yuri nodded and took a drink of her juice.  
"What do you think will happen?" Tamikia asked as she took a seat beside Yuri.

"My guess would be a small ship, a corsair probably. Fast and quick. Hijacking a ship is nearly impossible, but getting a small team on board to do a snatch and fade can be done," Yuri told her.

"You can't be sure of that can you?"

"No but it is the most sensible plan. The Dark Lady doesn't have much in the way of arms but its armour is thick and strong. You'd need a battleship to engage it effectively and we can run like hell if we have to. How likely is it Melkar has a fast battleship?"

"What if he does?"

"We could be in a lot of trouble," Kei said cheerfully from across the room where she had been following the conversation. "Could be fun thought, haven't gone head to head with a big ship, except in computer games." She had considered a number of strategies for taking on a much more powerful ship.

"Ignore her," Yuri told Tamikia. "I always do when she starts talking stupid."

"Hardly a nice thing to say Yuri." Kei shook her head slowly.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Tamikia looked to the roof of the cabin.

"Wait and see," Yuri told her.

* * *

It was a little more than an hour later that Yuri said, "We may have trouble. I think we should get to the Angel." She got to her feet.

Kei, who had been waiting for something to happen, was almost relieved that it finally had. She put her hand to the laser carbine as her side, taking comfort in its presence.

"What's happening?" Tamikia asked as she went to get Susanne.

"Ship's sensors picked something up on extreme sensor range, then something started jamming us on all frequencies," Yuri told her as she crossed the room, drawing her pistol, to the suite's door. She opened it and looked out into the hall.

Kei gathered up her carry on bag then went to pound on the door of Catherine's room. It was certainly time to be moving. "Let's go," she shouted.

"All clear," Yuri called across the room to Kei.

Catherine came out of her room at almost the same time Tamikia rejoined them, Susanne in her arms.

"I'll lead," Kei said a she rushed out into the hallway, brushing past Yuri. "Stay close."

She opened the door that led out into the public areas of the ship. The security personnel at the door were looking nervous. One was speaking softly into his comlink.

"I need to get into the service tunnels," Kei said.

"Ma'am, I'm not sure that is wise." He looked about, as if to be certain that no one was listening. "We'll probably be sounding the alarm in a few minutes. All passengers will be asked to return to their cabins.

"Good for them," Kei told him. "Now open the way, we've got other plans."

The man looked a little nervous as he looked at her, no doubt taking into account her uniform and the weapon she carried. "As you wish," he said after a moment, and went to do as she had told him.

Susanne began to get scared, and Tamikia had to turn her attention to comforting her daughter. Catherine looked as if she might start bolting at shadows. That meant it was up to Kei and Yuri to watch for ambush.

An alarm went off, sounding general quarters.

"Battle stations," Kei said. "Just like the security guy said."

"For a small ship?" Tamikia asked.

"Probably just a precaution," Kei told her, suspecting her excuse sounded false.

"Might be panic in the main corridors," Yuri called to Kei

"Good thing half of the passengers left."

Before they reached the hold the Lovely Angel was in, Kei called Mughi for a status report.

Yuri opened the door to the hold and dashed across the floor to their ship. She cycled open the airlock and motioned for the rest of them. Kei stayed at the door, covering them until they were all on board then she followed. Unnecessary maybe, but they did it by the book.

Yuri closed the lock after Kei was in then followed her to the cockpit. "I'll make sure Tamikia and the kids are strapped in and then join you in the cockpit," Yuri told Kei.

"Sounds good to me," Kei replied as she continued forward.

She slid into the pilot's chair and brought the Angel out of hibernation mode. She skipped a few safety steps to speed the process up. Nothing new for her really. While the Angel's computer handled the basic tasks of brining the reactor up to full and prepping the thrust plates, Kei turner her attention to the ship's weapons. She put it all in standby mode, ready to go at a moment's notice.

Yuri came into the cockpit and slid into the co-pilot's chair. "Tamikia and the kids are ready to go," she said.

"Good. What's the situation out side the Dark Lady?"

"Give me a second to access the Lady's net," Yuri said as she plugged herself into the Angel's systems. "Still being jammed. We still have short-range coms but only if the signal is overpowered."

"If they could get a message through how long for help to arrive?" Kei grabbed an interface cable and slid it into her datajack.

"Far range patrol frigates might make it in about an hour or so. A high speed gunboat could make it from planet in about two hours."

"On our own then."

"As usual."

"Anything on the Lady's sensors?"

Yuri closed her eyes. "Something is coming up on us. Fast."

"How fast?"

"Military speed fast. Pulling higher Gs than the Lady is capable of."

"Okay then, let's dance." Kei decompressed the docking bay with a thought.

"The ship, as far as I can tell, is coming relative to the Lady's top. We can use the Lady for initial cover."

"Good." Kei was about to open the docking bay doors when the Dark Lady shook. "What was that?"

"Give me a sec, I'll call up the diagnostics." Yuri was quiet for a few seconds. "Oh shit."

"What?"

"Heavy missile barrage; must have launched from maximum range, burned hot, and came in with the jamming as cover. The Dark Lady's CIDS cut in at the last moment. It was a solid hit."

"How bad?"

"Restricted to engines by the looks of things, but the Lady is not going to be outrunning the incoming bogey now."

"Isn't this ship's main defence running like hell?"

"It was."

"Beautiful, I can just see the headlines now." Kei opened the docking doors and the Angel slid out into space.

There was noise behind them. Kei looked over her shoulder to see Tamikia lowering one of the suicide seats. The suicide seats were named so because they offered almost no protection beyond the basic restraint belts. Kei would have told her to return to the ready room and wait with her children, if she thought that Tamikia would have done so.

"Can you keep them from seeing us?" Kei asked Yuri.

"I can certainly try."

"Good enough."

Keeping close to the Dark Lady, Kei brought the Angel up to the Lady's top.

"I can filter out most of their jamming," Yuri said as she worked.

"Good. I'd like to know what we are looking at."

"Mughi's been making improvements," Yuri commented. "I think I got it. Computer is calling the profile out of memory."

"What the hell is that?" Kei asked as she cleared the Dark Lady and the enemy ship appeared on the main visual screen.

"According to the computer, Star Hauler cargo ship. Three kilometres long, low powered, economical engines, heavy shielding with little combat capability."

"Sure. Pull the other one. What is it really?"

"Refitted freighter. Likely armoured all the way to hell. All its arms in pop up turrets. It could go anywhere and no one would raise an eyebrow."

A section of the Dark Lady's armour was blown off right next to them.

"Fuck," Kei yelled as she hit the Angel's thrusters. "Where's safe?"

"Straight at its bow. I suspect it won't be able to depress its guns far enough to target us."

"You suspect. Just wonderful." Kei brought the Angel around in a tight turn and ran straight for the enemy ship. "What's it using anyway?"

"Looks like rail cannons."

"Oh great." Kei increased the power to the Angel's thrust plates.

"How long can the Lady hold out?" Tamikia asked.

"If that thing turns all its weapons onto her, not long. I suspect the reason that they have not done so already is that they think you and the kids are still be aboard," Yuri said.

The Angel shook slightly.

"Now what?" Kei cried.

"Just a graze. Tore some armour off, minor breach in the hull, the repair systems has already sealed it," Yuri read off one of the screens.

"Just a graze she says." Kei began evasive manoeuvres. "We under their guns yet?"

"Probably."

"Good enough. Now it's our turn to shoot back. Claws out." Kei smiled.

"Missiles armed. I'm going for a mixed spread, some high explosive to peel the hull and a group of armour drills with proximity fuses set to go off when they reach the engine."

"Nasty. Use that nuke we've been saving for a rainy day."

"Already done," Yuri said.

"You have nukes?" Tamikia asked.

"Doesn't everyone?" Kei asked.

"No, I mean, they let you two have nuclear weapons?"

"Not funny."

"Who's trying to be funny?"

"Missiles away," Yuri sung out.

The sensor feed marked the missiles with red dots. The three women in the cockpit watched the spread converge on the large ship. The ship disappeared behind a flash of light as the weapons impacted.

"Suck on that you bastards," Kei whispered.

The light faded and died. The huge, enemy ship was still there.

"Mother puss buckets," Yuri said.

"Fuck, fuck and fuck again," Kei yelled.

"Watch your language," Tamikia said, without any real conviction. "What happened?"

"I was wrong, they're armoured all the way to hell and back," Yuri told her. "That much armour, their engines are military all the way to move them."

"You'd have thought that the EMP from the nuke would have done something." Kei looked at the sensor readings.

"Military grade shielding."

"Shouldn't we pull up?" Tamikia asked. One the screen the heavily scarred, but still intact, bow was growing.

"Oh yeah." Kei increased the Angel's angle of climb.

"Keep close to the hull and hope their CIDS can't track us," Yuri told her.

"So how much shielding do you think this beast has on its systems?" Kei dropped the Angel so it was skimming the surface of the other ship.

"Lots."

"Bet you anyone in the hull was killed at least," Kei said.

"Probably, hey is that a high power sensor array?" Yuri pointed at a bulge on the ships back that was covered in sensor antenna.

"Looks like one. Supposedly only available to the UG military." Kei swerved the Angel around a rail gun turret.

"Guess they have some interesting contacts." Yuri targeted the sensor array with several of their rear-mounted lasers and burnt it off the ship.

Kei dropped the Angel down behind the ship, took it out beyond the thruster wash, and then flipped it around and dropped into a trailing pattern.

"Now what?" Yuri asked.

"Could put our remaining missiles up its tail, see if that works."

"Doubt it would do more than slow them a little. We don't have much left in the way of missiles anyways. Just high explosive really."

"I didn't think it would work either," Kei admitted. "Lasers and ballistics probably aren't got to do that much."

"Do we have any weapons that would damage that monster?" Yuri tapped the screen that showed the Star Hauler.

"We would if you hadn't been so set against that spinal mount rail cannon," Kei told her.

"It would have cut our bathroom space by half," Yuri said defensively. "Besides, who'd have thought we would need it. I thought it was just another of those urges for overkill you get."

"It was, but you have to admit it would be useful."

"So would a Hades II class destroyer, and if wishes were weapons we would be all set."

"We'll just have to board them," Kei said.

"Oh joy." The sarcasm was all too evident in Yuri's tone.

"What do you think, one, two hundred to one odds on their ground?" Kei speculated.

"Just the way we want it," Yuri said with blatantly false bravado.

"So how do we get in?"

"Could ask nicely."

"Five hundred meters from the stern, there's a large cargo hatch." Tamikia said.

"What?" Both Kei and Yuri asked, nearly simultaneously.

"I own several Star Haulers. We've done a few conversions like this one. In all of them the cargo hatch is a weak point. The thing is just too damned useful to get rid of, but always too easy to get through."

"Check it out," Kei told Yuri.

Yuri turned to the computer and began calling up information.

"If we go in you'll have to take your kids into one of the attack pods and wait for us. They're small so even if we don't succeed, Melkar will never find you, and you can wait for pick up," Kei told Tamikia.

"No, I'm going with you."

"It will be very dangerous, you could get killed." Kei told her straight. If Tamikia wanted to go with them she would not try to stop her.

"I've taken that risk before."

"Okay, Susanne and Catherine will still go in the pod. Mughi will go with them. Get them in." Kei told Tamikia.

"Back in a minute." Tamikia got up and headed for the ready room.

Kei activated the ship's intercom. "Mughi, get to the ready room. You'll be riding an attack pod out with the kids."

Mughi's growl came from the speaker.

"Excellent," Kei said.

"You know, we have to pull them away from the Dark Lady," Yuri said.

"I know. Thinking of letting them know that Tamikia and the kids are with us?"

Yuri nodded. "We'll overpower a signal and send it to the Dark Lady, telling them we're taking Tamikia and making a run back out of the gravity well."

"We'll send a decoy pod out that way. Hopefully they'll come about to chase it."

"Sounds good," Yuri said as she began to prepare.

* * *

Tamikia entered the room and began to unbuckle Susanne.

"What's happening mommy?" Susanne asked.

"Don't worry." Tamikia took the little girl up in her arms. "Come along Catherine." Tamikia left the ready room and went to the launch bay.

Mughi already had one of the pods open and was waiting inside. Tamikia entered and strapped Susanne into one of the seats.

"Mommy's going to leave you for a little while but I'll be back for you," she told her.

"I want to stay with you." Susanne began to cry.

Tamikia pulled a med kit from the wall brackets, opened it and took out a sedative autoinjector. She set the dosage and then pressed it against Susanne's neck. Within seconds her youngest daughter was asleep.

"Do you want one?" She asked Catherine. Catherine was strapping into the seat beside Mughi.

"No," Catherine told her mother.

Tamikia nodded, put the autoinjector back in the kit and the kit back on the wall.

"Here." Tamikia handed Catherine a pistol and the magazines for it. "Use it if you have to."

Tamikia considered telling Catherine what she had once been told, before going on one of her companies black ops; the last bullet is for you. She did not, would not, however. Where there was life, there was hope.

"Take care of them Mughi," Tamikia told the cat. The cat nodded. In his eyes Tamikia was certain she could see understanding. She supposed no matter how alien Mughi was he would likely understand the 'mother/cub' relationship.

The pod's hatch sealed after she left. Tamikia turned around and walked towards the bridge. She heard the servo-clamps push the pod into the launch tube and felt the ship shake as it left the Angel. She wanted to be with her children but knew that it was important she confront Melkar.

Kei met her just outside the cockpit.

"Yuri says we have a good chance of getting in. We're doing it."

"Good."

Kei went back into the cockpit and Tamikia followed her.

"We ready to go?" Kei asked.

"Everything looks good," Yuri told her.

"What's happening with the Dark Lady?" Tamikia asked as she strapped herself into the suicide seat.

"The Star Hauler is chasing after a modified EWAC drone that they think is the Angel. Before the came to they sent a barrage of missiles at the Dark Lady." Kei strapped herself into the pilot's seat.

"How bad was it?"

"They got their CIDS up in time," Yuri said, not looking up from her controls. "Stopped most of the missiles, but took a few solid hits. They look almost dead in space right now. I suspect the Star Hauler is planning to circle back and destroy them once they catch us." She paused and the looked back at Tamikia. "No sign of leaking atmosphere, so I think they are all right."

"They'll never get the chance to circle back and deal with the Dark Lady," Kei said as she hit the Angel's thrust control and took it around the Star Hauler's starboard side. She rotated the Angel ninety degrees to the star hauler so the Angel's bottom was facing the much larger ship.

"Activating adhesion plates, don't hurt the landing gear too much Kei," Yuri said.

"I know what I'm doing, so don't worry. Time to play lamprey." Kei dropped the Angel onto the other ship, hitting the breaking thrusters as the landing gear contacted the other ships hull.

The stop was violently sudden. Tamikia had first hand experience with why suicide seats were named so.

"I know what I'm doing," Yuri mimed Kei. "You almost ripped the landing gear from its housing."

"One, it's not like you could have done better. Two, give me that tone again and I'll slap you. Now come on." Kei undid her restraint harness."

"Are we in any danger from the ship's guns?" Tamikia asked as she freed herself from the seat.

"I doubt that they can depress any of their guns enough to fire at their own hull, so I'll say no," Yuri told her.

"Nice to know."

"Let's go get some party favours," Kei called as she made her way towards the Angel's arms locker.

"After you," Yuri said to Tamikia.

Tamikia nodded and left the cockpit.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

_As a marine it is inevitable that you will have to board a ship at least once in your career. Don't let those vids fool you. It's not a pleasant or easy thing to do._

_You will be fighting an enemy on their own ground. They can open the airlocks dumping you into hard vacuum. They can pump poisonous gasses through the ventilation systems. They can cut gravity or increase it to the point where all but mechs will be pinned to the floor._

_Make sure you outnumber your enemy by at least two to one and have a good mix of skills on your teams. Even then you can expect to have a high casualty rate._

-excerpt from United Galactica Space Marines Text Book: Boarding Tactics.

"What do you think?" Yuri asked, taking the rail rifle from the weapons rack.

"It will clash with everything you own," Kei told her.

"Funny." Yuri's tone made it evident she thought Kei was anything but.

"Does it have enough ammunition?"

"Six hundred rounds." Yuri laid her hand across the stock bandolier that held several ammo-cassettes, each full of flechettes.

"You do remember that lecture we had on fire control don't you?" Kei pulled on her grenade harness.

"You're one to talk." Yuri slung the weapon over her shoulder.

Kei picked up her assault cannon from where it lay on the floor, made a quick examination of the weapon then cocked it.

"Quite a bit of fire power," Yuri said.

"Why this little thing?" Kei pulled the sling over her shoulder. Shells for the weapon were attached to the sling.

Tamikia came into the arms locker wearing an armour cloth, body glove. The body glove colours shifted slightly as she moved; indicative of a chameleon field. Several neutral grey armour plates had been clipped over the most vulnerable areas of her anatomy. She wore an SMG, in a holster, low on her left hip.

"Loose all the plates, except for a couple of the abdominal and pectoral ones," Kei said indicating the armour. "They'll just get in your way."

"What about the ones on my back?"

"Never put your back to the enemy," Kei told her.

"Try this." Yuri handed Tamikia a gyrojet rifle. "Plug it into your neural interface and its one of the best sniper rifles you'll find."

Tamikia took the weapon, checked its balance and then slung it over her shoulder.

They left the arms locker.

Tamikia paused to plug the gyrojet rifle into her datajack, getting a feel for the weapon.

Yuri went into her cabin. When she came back she was carrying an armoured briefcase.

Kei went to the ventral airlock and extended a boarding tube from the Lovely Angel to the other ship. Once it was sealed she pressurized the tube.

Tamikia and Yuri arrived, watching her work.

Kei checked the seal and then opened the airlock. She jumped down onto the space-chilled, hull metal of the other ship. Kneeling down she attacked a blocky looking device to the hull and took a sensor reading.

"Forty centimetres." Kei looked up at Yuri.

"What type of metal?"

"Military grade, hull armour by the look of it."

"Think we can burn through?"

"Only one way to find out." Kei climbed back into the Lovely Angel.

"What if there's an ambush waiting for us?" Tamikia asked.

"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it," Yuri said.

"Get clear." Kei said as she took a heavy plasma torch from a nearby locker. It was a big device; she had to carry it slung over a shoulder.

"Do you think they know what we're up to and have depressurized the cargo hold?" Yuri asked Kei.

"Thank you for bringing that up Miss Sunshine. Just one more problem we don't need."

"Sorry."

"I'll just cut a small hole so we can take a look," Kei told them as she removed a set of goggles from where they hung on the torch and pulled them on.

Kei pointed the heavy torch down at the hull, set the cutting beams radius as small as she could and pressed the ignition switch.

There was a short burst of light and a wave of heat from the beam. Kei held the torch over the hole as several seconds passed. Suddenly air rushed out of the hole, ruffling Kei's, Yuri's, and Tamikia's hair.

"Over pressure is always better than under pressure in these cases." Kei powered the torch down and put it aside. "Hand me the fibre-cam."

"Here." Yuri handed her the camera.

Kei plugged one end of the camera into her datajack and fed the other end of the cable into the hole.

"Looks clean, big empty cargo hold," Kei said after several seconds. "Let me switch to IR just to see if anyone is hiding." She was quiet for a few seconds. "No. Zero hot spots, nothing human."

"Could be cymechs, surface temperature set to match surrounding air." Yuri looked down at Kei.

"They arranged that in the last minute or so?"

"Good point."

"Okay, time to do some serious cutting. Here." Kei pulled the camera from her neural interface and handed it up to Yuri. She picked up the plasma torch again and reset the beams, checking the safety features. Setting her feet wide apart she hit the switch.

Yuri and Tamikia closed their eyes and turned away from the intense light. Kei felt the heat from the torch; if it were not for shielding she probably would have been burnt. She kept cutting for a little over a minute. Then the tool's charge ran out.

Kei lifted the torch up and put it up on the Angel's deck, careful not to let any of the hot parts touch. She pulled the goggles off and tossed them beside it.

Yuri looked down at where the hull had once been. Now there was a hole leading into the other ship. "Here," Yuri said, giving Kei a canister of coolant.

Kei took the coolant, aimed the nozzle at the edges of the hole, squeezed the handle, and sprayed the foam coolant over the heated metal. The rapidly cooling the hull made pinging sounds. Some of the metal near the edges flaked and cracked.

"Ready?" Kei asked.

"Ready," Yuri said.

"As I'll ever be," Tamikia told her.

Kei drew her laser carbine, jumped down into the ship and realized her mistake almost instantly. The Angel's artificial gravity was at a right angle to the bigger ship's. As soon as she passed into it the pull on her changed. She fell to the floor, her back hitting the deck plates.

"Ow." Fortunately the fall had only been a meter and no serious damage had been done.

Yuri climbed carefully through followed by Tamikia.

"That wasn't very bright." Yuri helped Kei to her feet.

"Now you tell me. Come on, we have to find you a terminal." She set off, Tamikia following her.

Yuri paused and looked back the way they had come. The Lovely Angel's airlock sealed.

Kei looked about as Yuri sealed the Angel. She soon found what they needed. "Over here," she called out.

Yuri jogged across the hold. Kei pointed at a computer terminal near one of the hold's doors.

Yuri stepped out and kneeled by the terminal, placing her briefcase on the floor. She placed her palm against a reader on the case. There was a click and a hiss as the case opened.

She took out her deck, custom built. It was flat black, a red heart on the back of the flip up screen. She plugged one interface cable into the terminal, the other into her neural interface.

"Going use the hijacking program?" Kei asked.

"Too many defences between a peripheral slave like this and the mainframe for it to work. We'll have to get access at either engineering or the bridge."

"Well Melkar is likely to be on the bridge," Tamikia said.

"So that's where we'll go," Kei said.

"What was that about a hijacking program?" Tamikia asked.

"Yuri collects black lab stuff and illegal programs. One of these days she's going to get caught. She has stuff even 3WA would frown upon. Don't tell anyone or she'll be forced to kill you." Kei smiled.

"You say that as if you are making a joke," Tamikia said, "and yet I can't help but feel you are being serious."

Kei only continued to smile and turned to look over Yuri's shoulder. "What are you using this time?"

"A 'never-mind' program. It's choice. It makes the ship's security computer ignore us totally. As far as the security system is concerned we don't exist as... of... now," Yuri said with flourish.

"Nice," Kei told her.

"I've also downloaded the ship's plans into internal memory." Yuri touched a finger to her temple.

"You have to tell me where you get your programs," Tamikia said.

"No I don't," Yuri said in a friendly enough tone, but it was a flat refusal.

Tamikia frowned, as if she had just realised an unpleasant truth.

Kei opened the hatch and went out into the corridor beyond to reconnoitre the immediate area. When she returned she found Yuri packing her computer away in the armoured briefcase.

"Ready to go?" Kei asked her.

"Yeah." Yuri kicked the case across the floor, sending it sliding towards the hole cut into the hull.

"Aren't you worried someone might try to steal it?" Tamikia asked.

"Nothing I can't rebuild. And the case will blow up if anyone but me tries to open it." Yuri's tone was matter of fact.

"Interesting security system."

"The same we have on the Angel," Kei told her. "They're our toys and no one else is allowed to play with them. Let's go."

* * *

They made their first contact with the ship's crew several minutes later and six decks above where they had started. Kei heard them first and dragged Tamikia into a maintenance alcove. Yuri leapt up and pulled herself up and into some conduits that lined the ceiling.

From their hiding places all three watched a group of six--four men and two women--pass by. They carried weapons but not in a relaxed manner that suggested they were not ready to use them. Yuri guessed they were heading towards the cargo bay. Either her program was not working as well as she hoped, or some warning alarm had gone off before she had a chance to infect the security computer.

Yuri waited until they had passed by and then swung down from the ceiling. Her lower legs were wrapped around a conduit and she hung upside down in the middle of the corridor. Her long, black hair almost brushed the floor.

It was a tough shot but it would not be her first. The rail rifle was set on full auto. The only sound it made was the crack of the flechettes as they left the barrel at many times the speed of sound.

Attacking from behind might not have been honourable, but it certainly was smart.

In a few seconds all six were sprawled on the deck plates, unmoving. Not one of them had managed to fire a weapon.

"Show off," Kei said to Yuri who was still hanging upside down.

Yuri put her rifle on the floor and V'd her fingers, smiling. She then swung up, grabbed a piece of the support structure, freed her legs and dropped gracefully to the floor.

Kei walked over to the fallen bodies, stopping just outside of the growing puddle of blood. "Mercs," she said as Tamikia came to stand beside her.

"How do you know?"

"They all have different weapons."

"But they are wearing the same uniforms." Tamikia indicated the bloody, one-piece ship-suits they all wore.

"Someone is trying to mould them into a fighting force," Yuri said as she came up behind Kei.

"So we have a crew that is unused to working together and a ship that is undermanned. That's a plus for us." Kei kicked one of the bodies.

"How do you know the ship is undermanned?" Tamikia asked.

Yuri switched her rifle to semi auto and put a shot into the head of each one of the bodies to make sure they were dead.

"If it had a full crew we would have run into someone almost as soon as we left the cargo bay. Plus that cargo bay would have been full of supplies needed for a large crew," Kei told Tamikia.

"Come on," Yuri said. "Someone is bound to miss these six sooner or later. Better we're not around when they do."

* * *

"Well?" Yuri whispered.

"Boarding party." Kei said as she slid back into the side corridor. She put the small mirror she used for looking around corners back into one of her belt pouches. It was low-tech, but that was kind of why she liked it.

"How many?" Tamikia nervously stroked the stock of her rifle.

"About thirty. Six of them cyborgs."

"They're in our way." Yuri brushed a lock of hair back from her eyes. "I should have tied this off."

"Worry about your hair later. We've got to deal with more immediate problems." Kei took her assault cannon off safe.

"I can't think of anything more immediate than my hair, and I think we can take out about half before they realize what's happening," Yuri said.

"If we get among them they'll be hampered by their own people."

"Unless they are willing to shoot allies."

"You're little Miss Pessimist today aren't you." Kei's tone was soft but still angry. Sometimes Yuri's observations really bugged her.

"Sorry," Yuri said.

"Tamikia hang back. Play sniper from a safe distance."

Tamikia nodded. "You won't have to tell me twice."

"Let's rock," Kei said.

* * *

The men and women waiting in the boarding room were not expecting an attack. That gave Kei and Yuri a precious few moments to maximize the value of the surprise as they burst into the room. Yuri sprayed a hail of metal darts into the room, saturating the air with fire. Kei targeted the borgs with her cannon, focusing her offensive power into concentrated packages.

Within seconds they went from thirty to fourteen, much like Yuri had predicted. Tamikia used a piece of heavy equipment for cover and the rifles array of sights ensured she did not have to expose anymore than was required to stick the rifle up above her. The gyrojet ammunition was very deadly at such close range.

Yuri twisted to her side as one of the mercs squeezed a burst at her. She did not move quite fast enough as one of the rounds grazed her arm. Gripping the pistol grip of the rifle, she swung the weapon around her, as if it were a much lighter and smaller firearm. Holding down the trigger as she did so wasted a great deal of ammunition. It also cut the man who had shot her in half, and took out the people on either side of him.

The empty flechette cassette was ejected from the receiver group. She moved evasively as she pulled a full cassette from the stock and slapped it into the weapon.

Kei dodged back as the big cyborg swung its axe at her. The huge, bladed weapon whipped by so close that she could feel the breeze. Had it hit it likely would have cut her in half. She was not about to give it another chance to swing the weapon.

Stepping inside of its attack arc, while the axe was still in its back swing, she jammed the rifle up against its chest she pulled the trigger.

The recoil sent her stumbling back a few steps. The heavy, fin-stabilized sabot flipped the borg over on it's back as it punched through the armoured body. Organic and inorganic fluids leaked from the ragged hole as it lay motionless on the floor.

An axe, Kei thought as she targeted another borg. A bloody axe. Someone had jacked into one-too-many fantasy sims.

Tamikia ducked as a stream of bullets chewed into her cover. A piece of the equipment was blown out and cut across her thigh, tearing at the armour cloth. Too close she thought.

She pushed the rifle up above the equipment, using the camera sights to target her attacker. She closed her eyes; all the information entering her visual cortex came from the gun camera. The sites locked on the woman with the machinegun. Pulling the trigger Tamikia put a fist sized hole in her chest.

Switching the weapon over to semi-autonomous target-acquisition, she dove out from behind her cover. The weapon tagged the remaining enemy in the room--except for Kei and Yuri as the computer recognized them as friendly--and locked their coordinates and visual recognition parameters into the gyrojet projectiles, even as it fired.

The small rockets sped towards their targets with deadly accuracy, each one exploding a few milliseconds after contact. Enough time for the charge to enter their bodies.

Then it was over.

"Well that was fun." Kei took the empty magazine from her cannon and reloaded the magazine from the rounds on her sling.

Yuri looked down at the flashing light on her rifle. Almost empty she though. One of the bodies on the floor groaned, she put him out of his misery. Another cassette fell to the floor.

"Things usually get this messy?" Tamikia stepped onto the bloody floor of the ready room.

"Yes," Kei slapped the magazine back into her cannon.

Yuri slid a fresh cassette into the rifle.

Kei heard Yuri gasp and turned to look at her. Yuri was kneeling down by one of the bodies. "What are you doing?"

"Not entirely to pleased with the rail rifle," she told Kei as she pulled the backpack off the dead man. "It's a bit too long for in close fighting and feels a little unstable at times."

"So what are you scavenging?"

Yuri pulled the backpack on, and then dragged up, by its armoured belt, a five-barrel, short, mini-cannon. She grunted under the weight of it. "This," she said.

"Are you even going to be able to carry that?"

"Has AG weight compensators," was all Yuri said as she fiddled with the controls on the cannon. "There we go. Light as a feather." She sounded relieved.

Kei walked over to stand beside Yuri. She looked at the indicators on the weapon. "Switch on the fly ammunition selector. HEAP, HESH, AP... Why do you get the best toys?"

"God loves me. I'm her favourite." Yuri grabbed the interface cable and checked it to make certain the jack was not damaged. Then she plugged it into her neural interface.

"I must be her second favourite then," Kei said as she picked up an automatic shotgun from the floor. "We get out of that clear?"

Yuri cocked her head to the side. After a few seconds she said, "There's a lot of talk on the coms net. They know something is going on, but don't know what. They suspect their security has been breached."

"Swift aren't they." Tamikia slid a new magazine into her rifle.

"Assuming that isn't misinformation," Kei said.

"Assuming."

"Oh well. We better get moving." Kei set off towards an exit with Yuri following and Tamikia bringing up the rear.

* * *

Kei considered the group. The three men and the one woman blocking the way ahead were not much of a threat. The two cymechs with them were another matter entirely. She slid her mirror back into her belt pouch and crawled back to Yuri and Tamikia. 

"It's not good," She told them. "There are two cymechs, heavy armour types."

"Can we go around?" Tamikia asked.

"It would mean backtracking and chancing running into another group," Kei told her. "It will cost us time."

"We can't afford the time," Yuri said.

"Oh?"

"Looks like they finally figures they are chasing a ghost. Com traffic says they are coming around and heading back to the Dark Lady."

"That settles it then. Yuri, you're going to have to take point," Kei told her. "Your weapon is about the only one that has a good chance of taking them down. And god loves you, so you'll have nothing to worry about."

"Me and my big mouth," Yuri said softly.

"Tamikia, you'll come up on Yuri's left. I'll move up on her right. Targets of opportunity."

"I understand," Tamikia said.

Yuri stood and started the barrels spinning on their silent bearings. "Wish me luck."

"Luck," Kei said.

* * *

Yuri was not entirely pleased with the plan, but it was what they had.

The bulkiness of the weapon system dictated that Yuri perform no acrobatic feats. She simply stepped out into the corridor, dropped to one knee and pulled the trigger. A mixture of AP, HEAP, HESH and tracer spun out of the barrels.

She swept the weapon back and forth, chewing up the walls and the soft targets easily enough. The heavy armour cymechs were able to stand up to that fire, and the charged her. From the corner of her good eye she saw Kei come up beside her, firing her cannon.

One of the cymechs raised its arm, on which was mounted a very large, energy cannon. Yuri pushed the rate of fire close to red line and locked her fire on it, blowing the entire arm off with the stream of metal. The temperature on the barrels was climbing rapidly.

The other cymech was almost on her. She swung the mini-gun to cover it and hosed it with fire, increasing the fire rate even further. Its chest armour finally disintegrated under the punishing rate of fire. It opened up its softer, internal structure to Yuri's fire. The cymech collapsed to the ground a meter away from her.

In her field of vision information about the weapon was projected. The ammo counter had dropped to an alarmingly low number, the temperature gauge was firmly in the red zone, and several warning messages were flashing warnings of impending problems.

The second cymech, less its arm, came up behind its fallen comrade and was much too close for Yuri's comfort. She could see the effect of Kei and Tamikia's fire on it, and was upset to see how little that amounted to.

She did not have much choice. The weapon's computer gave her a great number of warnings as she pushed the rate of fire up to its maximum.

The cymech sprang at her, Yuri fell backwards, glad for the padding on the ammo pack's harness. The hail of bullets actually slowed the mech down and pushed it up as it passed over her. It took almost a full second of point blank fire before it was gone from Yuri's field of vision.

The ammo ran out a moment later.

There was a strange, rattling, clacking sound. It took her a moment to realise that the rotating barrels had warped so much they were hitting each other.

Yuri stared up at the large hole in the ceiling. "Bitching," she said softly, and wondered if the cymech was about to step on her head.

"Pretty intense." Kei said, looking down at Yuri.

"Is it dead?"

"And then some." Kei smiled.

"I believe the phrase, in the vernacular, is 'majorly blown away'," Tamikia said from somewhere behind Kei.

Yuri released the harness and then took the hand Kei offered to get to her feet. She turned to look at the cymech. It had nearly been cut in half from its head to crotch. She turned again to look at the bodies at the far end of the corridor.

"I know what I want for Christmas this year," Yuri said. She pulled the interface cable from her neural interface.

"Get in line," Kei said.

"Are you two really this fascinated by weapons, or is this something you just do to keep people from getting close to you and learning that you are sensitive and caring individuals?" Tamikia asked.

"Huh?" Kei said.

"What?" Yuri asked.

"Never mind." Tamikia shook her head. "Too many psychology courses in university. Don't we have to get to the bridge?"

They left, Yuri only slowing to swing her rail rifle around, ready for use.

* * *

"I think we should split up," Yuri told Kei.

"Chancy," Kei said.

"But good tactics." Yuri had called up the ships plans from her internal memory and the deck plans were superimposed over her visual field. "There are two ways to the bridge from here. They've either split their forces or left one way unguarded."

"Okay. Rock, paper, scissors?"

"Fine," Yuri said.

They shook their fists three times then Kei held her hand out flat, Yuri had V'd two of her fingers.

"You and Tamikia take the upper passage, I'll take the lower," Yuri said. She plugged a datasoft into her datajack and downloaded the deck plans. "Here," she said, handing Kei the datasoft.

"Thanks," Kei said, plugging the datasoft into her own datajack.

"Shouldn't we stay together?" Tamikia asked.

"If we split up it increases the chances someone makes it to the bridge. It also deals with potential reinforcements who could be waiting along either route," Kei explained.

"See you in a while." Yuri grabbed hold of a ladder and slid down it.

"Come on." Kei set off down the corridor.

* * *

Kei didn't notice the man hiding in a maintenance alcove until he stepped out in front of her with a rifle levelled at her chest. Sloppy of me, Kei thought. Those alcoves are great places to hide. She should have expected such an attack.

"Hands up and away from the trigger," he barked out.

Kei judged the distance between them and considered that he had not seen Tamikia yet. She did what he said.

"Throw the weapon down," he told her.

"Are you sure of that?" He looked young to Kei. She did not think he was very experienced.

"What?" He sounded confused.

"It might go off."

"Okay, put the weapon down on the ground, then unbuckle your holster, keeping your hands away from the weapon. Remove the cannon and put it down, the grenades too. No sudden moves." He waved the rifle menacingly. It sounded to Kei if he was saying things that he had learned from a manual.

Kei did what he said. He watched her closely. So closely that it was no surprise that he did not notice Tamikia move in for a shot. Kei was bent down and unbuckling her holster when Tamikia fired.

The gyrojet tore into his head and took it from his shoulders. His weapon went off as his body fell back. The shot went high over Kei's head and hit the ceiling.

"Nice shooting." Kei gathered up her weapons.

"No problem," Tamikia told her, a little breathlessly.

They continued on.

* * *

Yuri almost did not see her attacker and almost did not raise her rifle quickly enough to block the knife slash at her throat. It was a close thing, and the knife cut deeply into the rifle. Yuri lost her balance and fell back against a door. Her attacker had moved with her their bodies almost pressed together in a parody of intimacy.

The door slid open behind Yuri and dumped her and the woman attacking her into a head. Yuri twisted around to keep her head from cracking against a sink. She lost hold of her rifle, grabbed the woman's arm instead. The woman put all her weight behind the knife as she pushed it at Yuri's exposed throat.

Gritting her teeth she got her feet between the woman and herself, and then kicked out.

The woman, older than herself and whip thin Yuri noticed, stumbled back against a wall. Yuri sprung to her feet and followed after her. Using an infighting technique Kei had taught her, she took the weapon from the woman and then twisted the woman's arm up behind her back.

Stupid, Yuri thought as she noticed the pistol the woman wore, the pistol the woman was trying desperately to reach. She had chosen to use a knife when she had a pistol. Likely due to some odd desire to see the pain one caused, up close. Yuri took her pistol from her shoulder holster, put the pistol against the back of the woman's head, and squeezed the trigger.

The lifeless body slid to the ground. Turning, Yuri put her pistol back in its holster. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Taking a moment she straightened her sunglasses and pushed a few loose strands of hair away from her forehead.

After picking up her rail rifle from where it had fallen Yuri began to run, hoping to make up lost time.

* * *

"How do we handle this?" Tamikia asked. There was a group of guards in front of the access to the bridge section.

"The easy way." Kei armed one of her grenades.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Only for them."

She tossed the grenade and then pushed Tamikia to the floor.

The force of the explosion washed over them, alarms started going off.

"I guess Yuri's program wasn't as good as she thought." Kei stood and helped Tamikia to her feet.

"Everything has its limits." Tamikia said, reasonably sure she was reaching hers.

"Come on the bridge is close by," Kei stepped over a body and opened a blast door.

* * *

The two men in front of the elevator saw Yuri silhouetted in the door way as she stepped through. Both of them had their weapons ready, but Yuri had surprise and boosted reflexes on her side. 

She squeezed the trigger of her weapon, firing from the hip. She was still not entirely pleased with the rail rifle, but it did have its benefits.

The men went down, both dead. The single shot one of them had fired had missed her.

She stepped over the bodies and tapped the elevator call button. She suspected something was up so she stepped to the side.

When the doors opened a hail of gunfire erupted from the elevator. A moment later a young man stepped out. He was holding a light machinegun. He looked in horror at the two bodies, likely believing he had killed them.

Yuri did not give him long to wallow in guilt. She drove the stock of her rifle into the side of his head, killing him.

After pulling his body out of the elevator she set the timers on two of her grenades, placed them on the floor of the elevator then sent the elevator up to the next level.

There was a maintenance shaft nearby that led up to the next level. It would be a tight fit, but she knew she could make it. She pulled the cover free and then climbed into the shaft, snaking her way upwards.

* * *

The elevator doors opened and four crewmembers began to fire into it car. They stopped, confused, when they saw it was empty. Then the grenades exploded.

Yuri pushed open the cover over the shaft and pulled herself into the acrid smoke filled corridor. Alarms were going of but it did not matter. They did not need quiet any more. She fired a burst at the people lying in front of the elevator, just to be sure, then turned and sprinted towards the bridge.

* * *

The two trouble consultants arrived at the bridge within almost a minute of each other. Kei came close to shooting Yuri before realizing her mistake.

"Nice shotgun," Yuri said, looking at the weapon pointed at her.

"Good to see you made it." Kei pointed the weapon at the floor.

"Likewise." Yuri slipped pass Kei to look at the bridge door. "This will take a bit of time." Yuri handed one of her remaining grenades to Kei and then took a small tool kit from one of her belt pouches. She went to work on the door's locking mechanism.

Kei looked at the grenade that Yuri had handed her. There was a pink dot on the arming end. She took a matching grenade from her harness and set the timers on both. She did not arming them, but placed them carefully on the floor.

"What are those?" Tamikia asked.

"O'Donell neurostun eight," Kei told her. "Effective in seconds, breathed in or absorbed through the skin. Non-persistent and knocks any one out in seconds. Only a ten percent allergic rate."

"What if you're allergic?"

"It's not pretty. Here." Kei handed her a slap patch. "That's the antidote." She placed a second patch on her own neck and pressed down on it to activate it. Tamikia looked at the patch and then placed it on her own neck. Kei placed one on Yuri's neck, careful not to disturb her too much.

Yuri cut a fibre optic lead and spliced it into another. The locks in most ships were not impossible to pick but they were tough. In most cases Yuri would have preferred to rewrite the access programs but she had not brought her deck. Bad planning on her part she had to admit.

Convincing the hardware of the lock that it should open the door was a major pain in her opinion, but it was faster than several other options she had.

"Okay, get ready," Yuri told Kei as she placed a set of bypass links into the lock. "When I complete this bridge and give it a little juice the door opens. Take away the juice and it closes. I'll fry the mechanism once we are inside. No one will be opening this thing from this side for a long time."

"Gotcha." Kei armed the grenades.

Yuri pushed the links in.

There were a few discharges of energy--Yuri felt her fingers go numb--and the door slid open. Kei tossed the grenades in. Yuri sealed the doors.

"Ow." Yuri looked at holes in her gloves, burned by the discharge.

"I'm pretty sure I saw Melkar in there, " Tamikia said.

Kei swung the assault cannon to the ready position. She ejected the magazine and looked at it. "Two left. I shouldn't have wasted all those shots on the cymechs." She slid the magazine back in.

Yuri looked her rifle over. She had a cassette in the weapon and one left on the stock. Not as much as she would have liked to have. Her pistol had a full magazine, less one, and she had two full clips for it. The pistol was of even more questionable use than the rifle when it came to full conversion borgs.

Tamikia put her last magazine into the gyrojet rifle.

"Gas should have dispersed by now," Kei said.

Yuri winced as she shoved the links back in and the shock hit her. They entered the bridge, weapons ready. Yuri burnt the mechanism out to seal the entrance behind them.

The bridge was much larger than it would have been in a normal freighter as there were more stations. A huge screen on the ceiling displayed the Dark Lady. Already the Star Hauler had begun to fire on her.

The crew lay on the floor or slumped over their stations. In the middle of the room stood Melkar. He was wearing a ship suit and a leather jacket. The jacket was marked with the rank of a commodore.

He smiled at them.

He stood straight, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I'm pleased that you have managed to make it ladies," he said in a smooth tone. "Tamikia I must admit I'm surprised to see you here. I thought that you'd be hiding on their ship, with your children."

"You thought wrong," she told him. "Not the first time for that, ne?"

"Ah," he smiled in a self-deprecating manner, "I admit to having made mistakes. Still, let's..."

"Enough talk." Kei swung her cannon up and fired the two remaining rounds.

Vecroy was knocked back a few steps as the first and second round hit him. He almost fell over one of the crew stations. He straightened and coughed. There was a white, bubbly liquid on his lips. "Ouch," he said, and then laughed. "Hardly nice."

"You'll hate this." Kei swung the shotgun around her body and began firing.

Yuri switched her rifle to full auto and burnt off what was left in the cassette in only a few seconds. She slapped a new cassette in and kept up the rapid rate of fire.

Vecroy stumbled back under the onslaught, his body jerking about as the rounds impacted against him. A slug from the shotgun tore the skin off half his face revealing a metal skull beneath. Yuri's flechettes shredded clothing and skin, revealing more cybernetics. Even the hits to his eyes only shattered the cosmetic covers, revealing the shiny, steel orbs behind.

Kei's shotgun ran out of ammunition first. Then the last cassette in Yuri's rifle emptied. Kei hurled her empty weapon at Vecroy, for all the good it did. Yuri simply let her rifle fall to the ground as she reached for her pistol.

"Got that out of your systems, feel better now?" Vecroy asked. The half of his face still covered by flesh smiled.

"Definitely a full conversion borg," Yuri said. "Maybe a grenade?"

"I wish we had that minigun." Kei drew her laser carbine from its holster.

"Or a missile launcher."

"Would you two mind using what passes for your brains for a short while?" Vecroy said. "You can't win so you might as well give up. Tamikia my dear while I can and will use Catherine for what I need it would be much easier if you joined willingly with me."

"You need me, don't you, you bastard," Tamikia said.

"Yes, I need you. What we will need to do is fairly radical. Your board of directors won't let Catherine do any of it for at least several years. They may not control the majority of shares but they can stonewall my attempts. You on the other hand would have no problem. They think you're divinely touched."

"So you need me to achieve your dreams of empire that much sooner. Do you actually believe in this cause or do you just want power?"

"Isn't power better then slavery or death? You are perhaps one of the most powerful people in the known galaxy. You know the true value of power."

"And you think this little scheme will actually work?"

"I know it will work, I have history on my side. England, old Earth, for King and for country, they built one of the greatest empires ever known on the planet, covering continents."

"Which collapsed," Yuri said.

"And Japan. In a space of less than fifty years the Japanese people went from pre-industrial, almost medieval, to a point where they were willing to take on the United States of America. They fought and beat the Russians, and the Chinese and all of it they did by rallying behind their Emperor."

"Unfortunately I think he might have a point," Kei said. "History is on his side. History bites."

"Ah, a voice of reason." Melkar smiled. "Let's talk about you two. We could find a place for you. Wouldn't you like to have the respect you so richly deserve? Wouldn't you like to get away from the press and their treatment of you? Work for us and eventually take up a position in the new power structure."

"And you'll be the Emperor of it all," Tamikia said.

"Of course not. The Emperor or Empress will be a fairytale type figure. The type of person the masses can love and who will be, unfortunately, a target for assassins. I'll be in the background, an advisory position or something, where the real power is. So what do you say?"

"Archduchess Yuri," Yuri said dreamily.

Tamikia looked at Yuri, an expression of surprise on her head.

"I prefer Countess myself," Kei said to Yuri. "Countess Kei. I could have reporters put to death."

"Whatever you want," Vecroy said, a note of triumph in his voice.

"All those boring affairs of state you have to attend, and no doubt older fashions would come back into style. Corsets aren't my thing," Kei said disgustedly.

"Probably wouldn't be all that much fun anyway," Yuri said as she lifted her pistol.

"You're wasting your time," Vecroy growled.

"It's ours to waste," Kei said.

Tamikia opened up on him. The small gyrojet missiles tore even more of his fake skin and clothing off and seemed to have a greater effect, but it was her last clip.

Kei and Yuri opened fire on Melkar, their weapon doing a great deal of cosmetic damage, but hardly doing much to the metal under his skin.

Kei tossed her carbine to Yuri. Yuri caught it and with both weapons continued to fire. Kei pulled the receiver group of a weapon from one of her belt pouches, the grip and its battery from another. She clipped them together. Finally she took a three round cylinder from another pouch and locked it into place.

The last round from Yuri's pistol hit Melkar in face, ripping away most of the skin left on his skull. She kept firing with Kei's carbine.

In a two handed firing grip Kei pointed her new weapon at the cyborg and fired all three rounds in rapid succession. The three rounds slammed into Melkar who was knocked over onto his back.

"That was too easy," Kei said with a smile. "Got to admit," she held the small pistol up in her hands, "I didn't really think that this thing was the mech-killer that Kuan Yin advertised to be."

"You were right to not believe the hype," Melkar's synthesized voice sounded a bit strained as he rose to his feet. There were three dents in his chest, but Kei doubted that any of the rounds had penetrated.

"Shit." Kei's hand went to her belt pouch for the last magazine. Yuri was juggling weapons as she reloaded her pistol. Tamikia drew her SMG, raising it to her hip and working the top-mounted, cocking lever.

Melkar pointed his left arm at Kei. From his wrist three, thin, steel coils whipped out. One wrapped itself around Kei's weapon while the other two encircled her neck. The weapon was torn from her hand and she was drawn, stumbling, towards him.

He grabbed her throat and lifted her off the floor as the steel whips retracted back into his arm. What was left of the flesh around his lips formed a smile.

"You should have cooperated," he told her.

It looked as if Kei was trying to say something, perhaps a witty and clever comeback. However it unlikely she had the ability to talk with her throat being crushed.

Yuri dove between his legs, hoping that he might be distracted, what with his attention focused on Kei. Unfortunately he was not, and he lashed out at her with his foot. His kick tore the skin on her upper right arm and almost snapped bone. She lost her hold on the laser carbine.

Still, Yuri was able to get in close. She shifted her rail pistol in to a two handed grip, aimed at where his left arm joined his torso, and emptied the clip.

Melkar's fingers jerked open and Kei fell. She tucked and rolled to get away from him. Yuri sprang away just a moment behind a counter attack that probably would have crushed her ribcage had it hit.

"You two are just prolonging the inevitable," he told them, his voice rough with anger, or perhaps from the damage he had taken. His left arm hung at his side, the hand opening and closing in different patterns. Diagnostic check, Yuri guessed, upset she had not done more damage.

"Melkar, over here," Tamikia said from across the room.

He looked towards her.

She opened fire on him, spraying him with her SMG.

The bullets hit his cybernetic frame and squashed against it, sticking, as if they were gum.

"This is supposed to stop me?" he asked as he stalked towards Yuri.

He had only walked two steps when a web of crackling energy began to play over his body. The energy came from each of the deformed bullets that stuck to his body, each one an anchor point for the web. His body jerked to a stop, his limbs all in spasm.

Yuri and Kei took advantage of the time to scramble away from Melkar and to retrieve fallen weapons. Kei cursed softly as she found her Kuan Yin pistol bent and broken.

"What the hell is that?" Kei asked, pointing at Melkar.

"New product," Tamikia told her as she loaded a new magazine into her SMG. "Each bullet contains a powerful capacitor."

"I got to get me some of those," Kei said.

The electrical discharges around Melkar faded and then stopped. He collapsed to one knee, thin wisps of smoke rising up from his body. Then he stood.

"I think they still need work," Yuri told her as she aimed and fired.

* * *

Melkar was not a happy man.

Nothing had really worked out as he had hoped.

The Dirty Pair had sent him on a fool's chase as they had boarded his ship. They had killed his crew and were now on the bridge. They had not even seriously considered his offer of power to them.

Furthermore they had managed to hurt him far more than he would have thought possible. The damage was still, in many ways, minor, but even minor damage was more than he had expected.

All he wanted to do was to kill the Dirty Pair, rip them up into pieces, and then throw the bloody mess at Tamikia until she agreed to serve him. It would be enjoyable. All he had to do was get his hands on them.

He dodged to the side at Tamikia fired another burst at him from the SMG with it damnable ammo. He avoided some of the fire, but a number of the soft rounds impacted against him, sticking. He tried to brush them off, and managed to get a few, but then the capacitors in them discharged.

His limbs jerked as the spasms froze him up. The damage that the discharges were doing was minor, but it cost him time. There was also a build up of heat, from both the energy cracking across his body and the effects of Kei's laser. Another minor problem, but minor problems added up.

Tamikia emptied her magazine against him, while he was unable to avoid the attack. She ejected the empty magazine and slapped a full one into place.

Kei kept firing at him, burning away what little skin and clothes that had remained.

Yuri was firing at him, picking her target carefully since he could not move or counter attack. Several of the rounds found openings into his body and did damage.

Tamikia emptied the magazine into him. It appeared that was her last.

As the final electrical discharges played over him he fell forward, shutting down a number of his systems. Once the capacitors were dead he would bring it all back on line, letting everything reset. It would help.

* * *

Tamikia tossed her SMG aside and then went to one of the fallen crewmembers and took his side arm. She straightened up and cocked the weapon.

Melkar still lay on the floor, his body spasmodically jerking, smoke rising from his prone form. She wondered, as she pointed the pistol at him, if she had managed to kill him. He hoped it was the case, but that body of his had proven very resilient so far.

She regretted never taking over Melkar's company when she had the chance. It seemed to do good work.

The capacitors emptied the last of their charges and went dead.

Melkar lay still. Tamikia let herself hope up until the moment he shifted his body and began to rise.

"What does it take to make him stay down?" Kei yelled, and began to fire.

Tamikia wondered that herself, but did not voice her concerns. She simply fired.

* * *

Kei was considering a tactical retreat. If they could get to the Angel they could get their hands on some big weapons. Of course that would leave the Dark Lady in a great deal of trouble. From the looks of things someone on the ship was firing at the liner. They needed to take Melkar out so they could take control of the ship.

Just how she and Yuri were going to manage that, she did not know.

As Melkar walked towards her, his pace slow and slightly unbalance, she saw Yuri moving behind him. When Yuri saw she was looking she made a quick hand signal, pointing at her, and then drawing her finger across her neck in a rapid motion.

It looked like Yuri had an idea.

Kei waited until Tamikia ran out of bullets, and then she stopped firing as well.

* * *

Melkar was momentarily confused when Kei stopped firing. He immediately shifted his attention to Yuri. His systems were, however, overtaxed, and he was too slow to notice her.

* * *

Yuri had given up on the weapons they had and had chosen something a little unconventional. All she needed as the chance to use it. Once Kei stopped firing she had her window of opportunity.

She ran straight at his back, sprung up, doing a hand stand on his shoulders. She could feel the heated metal of his body through her gloves. Her right hand slapped a datasoft plug into the neural interface in the back of his neck. She pushed off with her left hand, twisting about and landing on his right side.

She readied to spring away, but his hand snapped out shattering her sunglasses. Yuri did not mind. A few centimetres closer and it would have been her skull.

"You're missing an eye," he growled. "Let me balance your face." The fingernails on his hands snapped out, becoming blades, and he reached out for Yuri, or at least he tried to.

His hand closed on empty air, low and to her right. Then his knees folded and he collapsed to the ground. It seemed if he was trying to get up, trying to do something, but his movements were abortive and uncoordinated.

"What happened?" Tamikia asked.

"Loaded a datasoft with every smart virus I have and spiked him with it," Yuri told her. "They'll punch through almost any defence there is."

"That had to be a lot of smart viruses." Tamikia said. "Aren't they are very illegal?"

"Well, I think nanotech is considered to be slightly more of a danger, but both technologies are right up there in the 'only god needs to know' security levels."

"Ooh, poor Melkar. Are you having some trouble?" Kei said, her tone dripping with exaggerated concern. "Perhaps you should lie down." She kicked him in the head, laying him flat out on his back.

"I'm going to take over the ship," Yuri said, running over to the captain's station. She took a small, armoured case from a belt pouch and opened it, revealing a slightly scarred, rectangular computer disc. She slotted the disk into an interface port on the Captain's station and then used an interface cable to jack herself in.

"This make take a bit," Yuri said.

"I'm not sure we have a bit," Kei said, looking up at the ceiling screen. The Star Hauler had closed on the Dark Lady and the rail cannons were beginning to tell. As she watched a large section of hull was blown free of the liner's port side. She could see the atmosphere leaking out.

"See if you can do something," Yuri said.

Kei moved to the gunner's station, pushed the dead man--he had been killed by a stray shot during the firefight--out of the seat, and then sat down. "Let's see," Kei said, thinking out loud. "I could stop the ship but that would attract attention, and until Yuri's got full control that's probably not a good thing, and engineering may very well just override us. Could cut power to the guns, but that would likely cause the same problems. Could go and kill all the gunners myself, but I don't have the time."

"Could you screw up the targeting computers?" Tamikia suggested.

"Yeah, right."

"Just an idea."

"What do I look like, a computer geek," Kei mumbled as she cut the power to the guns.

"I thought you said that would attract attention," Tamikia said, looking over Kei's shoulder.

"What can I say? I'm desperate."

"Chief gunner to bridge," a woman's voice came over the ships com. "we just lost power, what's happening?"

"Diagnostic check," Kei tried.

"What? Let me speak to the Commodore," The woman demanded.

"He's tied up at the moment."

"Engineering this is weapons. I think the bridge has been compromised. Return power to the guns and re-secure the bridge." They heard over the com.

"Oh no you don't," Yuri said as she redoubled her efforts.

She punched into the computer systems, performing a cyber lobotomy on several nodes. Then she went to work doing the impossible, since the impossible was currently the best way to deal with the situation.

All through the ship every doorway locked open, except for the one leading to the bridge. While most of the airlocks were one-way, rotating entry spheres, there were a few, in the cargo holds mostly, which had been designed for utility as opposed to safety.

There were also a number of emergency hatches. They would only open if the pressure outside the ship was above a certain level. However those protocols were no longer in effect.

Before anyone knew what was happening the airlocks and emergency hatches opened.

"Oh my," Kei said, seeing all the internal environmental sensors flash red.

"What happened?" Tamikia asked.

"Everyone on the ship decided to step out for a breath of hard vacuum," Kei told her.

"Don't you think that was a little excessive?" Tamikia looked over at Yuri.

"Nothing 'little' about it. Couldn't think of anything else that would work quickly."

"I'm going to get the Dark Lady on the com, see if she needs help," Kei said.

Yuri took a deep breath and then settled down to get full control of the ship.

"We might have a problem here," Tamikia said.

Kei and Yuri looked away from their work. "What?" they said in unison.

"Melkar. He's still moving. It's looking a little more coordinated as well."

Yuri got up from the Captain's station, unplugging herself, and went over to see what Tamikia was talking about.

"I think she's right," Kei said from beside Yuri. "Really, shouldn't something more impressive have happened by now? Maybe some small explosions or something?"

"Now that you mention it," Yuri said softly, "and considering he had to have at least one component that would explode when the computers went down... Yes."

"So he's not finished yet?" Kei gave the cyborg a hard kick to the head.

"Think not," Yuri said.

"So now what?"

"Now we cut him open," Tamikia said as she crossed the floor and started opening the storage lockers that lined the rear of the bridge.

"With what?" Yuri asked.

"There's got to be something in here."

"Maybe we can do something with our remaining grenades," Kei said, taking one from her harness.

"I always get wary when you start talking about impromptu charges," Yuri told her.

"Stand back." Tamikia came up to the body carrying a suitcase-sized, plasma torch. She placed it beside Melkar's body and then knelt down. "You'll probably want to turn your back," she said to Kei and Yuri.

They did so.

The light from the plasma torch was bright, even reflected off the walls of the bridge, and Yuri had to squint her eye against it.

Tamikia worked for almost a minute before the plasma torch shut off. Yuri turned around and looked down at what Tamikia had done.

Melkar's chest had been cut away, opening up the cavity within. Nestled safely within ballistic foam, with several small components attached to it, was clear container. Within the container was a brain.

"Well," Yuri said, "that would explain why the viruses did not finish him off immediately. He was not quite against humanity as I first thought."

"Separate computer to control life support for his brain," Tamikia said, "Biological/cybernetics interface attached to brain stem, no internal brain modifications that I can see. I so want his patents."

"There's a talented hacker in there, fighting all my viruses." Yuri shook her head.

"What do you think this will do?" Kei asked as she grasped the brain case and yanked it from the body. The feeds and cabling popped free.

"No!" Yuri shouted, and then knocked Kei back.

Something body's abdomen, no longer controlled by the brain, exploded. It was contained, but had anyone been close they certainly might have been injured.

"That answer you question?" Yuri asked Kei.

"Yes," was all Kei said as she placed the brain on the floor.

"Look at that." Tamikia sounded excited. "The legs are still moving. If I can just beat everyone else to his company I'll be able to corner the cybernetic market."

"So what do we do with this?" Yuri looked down at the brain.

"Could turn it over to the UG police," Kei said.

"We could break it open and toss the brain into space."

"I like the sound of that."

Tamikia was kneeling beside the body that Melkar had used. "Look at this," she said, reaching into the chest cavity. "Brain tape." She pulled it forth.

"Just in case, I guess," Yuri said.

Tamikia snapped the cartridge in two.

"Okay," Kei said as she kicked the braincase, sending it skittering across the floor, "let's get the Dark Lady on the line and this ship under our control."


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

_Last minute rescues are our stock and trade._

_Well they would be if we got their sooner_.

-Remark attributed to Kei by an anonymous reporter.

Captain Vincent Halson stood in the middle of his small bridge, listening to his bridge officers as they reported the ship's status to him. A tremor ran through the Dark Lady. Another thrust unit blowing up he suspected.

It had been several minutes since the opposing ship had stopped firing on them. Since then there had been nothing. Not that it mattered, Thrust units were blowing and the Dark Lady would likely tear itself apart without any help from the other ship.

"Status report," he, yelled to make himself heard above the others.

"They're just sitting out there, matching speed. Maybe they plan to board us?"

"They'll have to get closer," Vincent said. "And they'll have a fight on their hands." He pounded a fist into his palm.

"Sir," his com officer called. "They've stopped jamming us."

"What?"

"All channels are clear. Sensors are clean too."

"Send out an SOS on all frequencies."

"Yes sir." The com officer activated the distress beacon. "Sir, there is something on the sensors you should see."

"What is it?"

"There seems to be a number of bodies in the wake of that ship. It's almost as if they suffered massive explosive decompression."

"What?"

"I'm just telling you what is on the sensors." He paused. "Uh sir, there's a message coming in from the other ship. Asking for you."

Things were becoming more and more confusing. "Well, let's hear it."

"...please respond Dark Lady. I repeat, this is 3WA agent Kei, asking for Captain Halson, please respond Dark Lady. We have taken the prize ship... Hey, Yuri, what's a good name for this beast?"

There was silence for a few second, then, "Right, get real. Might as well call it the 'Titanic' as the 'Pretty Yuri'. This is the prize ship Vengeful Redhead calling the Dark Lady. Come on guys, respond. I can hear you breathing over there."

"This has to be real," Vincent said, shaking his head. "Engineering, cut engines, all power to life support and gravity fields to maintain structural integrity. And open up a channel to that ship."

"Done sir."

"Dark Lady to Vengeful Redhead," he was careful not to laugh, "we have a lot of trouble."

"How much trouble?" Kei's concerned tone came over the com.

"Not as bad as it was a few seconds ago. With the engines shut down we aren't about to explode, but the ship has taken some serious damage. We're going to need some help."

"Understood," Kei told him. We'll start preparations for docking. The Vengeful can hold your passengers and crews and give the Dark Lady a tow in system. Oh, we don't think there are any enemy combatants left on the this ship, but just to be sure, you had better make sure you initial teams are armed."

"Hold your course Dark Lady, we'll close the distance. Make sure your initial sweep teams are armed, we can't be sure that all enemy have been dealt with." Kei said.

"Understood," Vincent said. "Thank you. Out." He looked around at his crew. "Okay let's get moving. Standard evacuation procedures. Call sickbay and tell them to get ready to move. Look alive everyone, we're still not out of the woods yet." All around him people began to move. He smiled.

* * *

"How's it going?" Kei looked over Yuri's shoulder.

"I've almost got complete control. There are only a few minor, peripheral systems that are still controlled by the original programming. Should have it completed in a minute."

"So, what becomes of this ship now?" Kei asked in a casual manner.

"It's now property of the UG and will be sold off to pay any injured parties. Tamikia's shipping line is a likely candidate of course. And I know what you're thinking; there is no way you can keep it. If you think otherwise you should have named it the Bubbleheaded Redhead."

"Bubbleheaded? I'm hurt."

"Just do your job Kei."

"Fine." She turned to the controls. "Matched vectors with the Dark Lady. Fifty meters separating us. Opening hatches for the Dark Lady's team. Engaging boarding tubes. Doing my job."

"Do your job a little more quietly," Yuri told her.

"So now what?" Tamikia asked from where she was examining Melkar's body.

"Well, I'm going to bring the turrets in," Yuri reached over towards the gunner's station.

"Other than that?"

"Once we turn the ship over to Vincent we leave, grab your kids, and go to Peledies nine. No reason to stay here. Oh Kei, fire up the FTL com and get in touch with United Galactica Intelligence. Tell them that they should lock up all of Melkar's holdings."

"Why do I have to? I hate talking to UGI. You know they don't like us," Kei whined.

"Didn't I have to speak with them last time? Now it's your turn."

"Thank you ever so much."

* * *

There was a pounding at the bridge door. Yuri looked up from where she and Tamikia were cataloguing Melkar's body with a camera they had found. Kei swung her chair around to stare at the door. 

"Forgot to take the locks off that door." Yuri stood.

"Maybe you should," Kei said testily. She was still upset over her conversation with UGI.

"What if its members of the original crew?" Tamikia asked. She picked up the braincase that held Melkar's brain."

"Doubt they'd knock." Yuri took the panel of the locking mechanism and pulled out a hand full of electronics.

There was a loud click and the door slid back. Vincent, his bridge crew, and a security team entered, quickly taking positions on the bridge, pushing bodies out of the way. They were all armed, but none of them looked like they had been involved in any fighting.

"Let's go," Yuri said, not looking at Vincent.

"Just a second." Vincent came over and directed Yuri off the bridge and down the corridor. Kei and Tamikia followed at a discrete distance. This might be good, Kei thought.

Vincent stopped, turned, and gently took Yuri's by the shoulders, simply stating at her. Yuri smiled back at him. It was not exciting at Kei had thought. Then Vincent took his hands from her shoulders and slapped her.

Yuri put her hand against the stinging part of her face, looking like she might be about to cry. Kei had pulled her carbine from its holster and was dealing with a very strong urge to shoot the Captain. Perhaps not fatally, but she did want to shoot him none-the-less.

Tamikia reached out and put her hand on Kei's wrist, pushing it down slightly. She looked at Kei and shook her head.

"You may not have meant this to happen but it did," Vincent told Yuri.

"I'm sorry," Yuri said.

"Why is she apologizing?" Kei asked softly.

Kei watched as Vincent leaned forward and whispered something into Yuri's ear. Then he kissed her. He stepped back from her. "I'll contact you when I make planet fall. You can decide if you want to have anything to do with me then." He turned and went back to the bridge.

Kei tripped him as he went by. He stumbled, but caught himself before he fell.

"Oops," Kei said to him.

"Accidents happen," he said, smiling civilly. He looked at Tamikia. "Miss Jiinas, I'm sorry to report that the Dark Lady has suffered serious damage and will require some time in space dock."

"I see Captain. What about the crew and passengers?"

"There were some minor injuries among the passengers. More serious injuries among the crew. So far no fatalities."

Kei did not bother to listen to anything else that two might say to each other. She went straight to Yuri. "I'm surprised you didn't introduce your knee to his crotch." Kei looked at the red mark that marred the pale skin on her friend's cheek. "I wanted to shoot the bastard."

"He, he had reason," Yuri told Kei.

"Like hell he did. So, what did he say to you?"

"I'll tell you later," Yuri told Kei. "Let's go."

Tamikia had finished speaking to Vincent. He had returned to the bridge, she had come over. "Are you all right Yuri?" she asked.

"Well enough. Come on."

* * *

They arrived in the cargo hold without any problems. Along the way they had met crew from the Dark Lady. A med team had taken care of the wounds Kei, Yuri, and Tamikia had obtained earlier.

Yuri picked up her briefcase before opening the Angel up then pulled her pistol from its shoulder holster. "Sweep and clear," she said to Kei.

"We're not going to find anything. No one's been in the Angel," Kei told Yuri even as she drew her carbine.

"That's what they think in all those horror vids."

"That you base a lot of your life on vids is sad Yuri. Really sad."

It took them ten minutes to sweep the Angel. Once they were done Kei returned to the airlock to seal the hole they had cut into the ship.

The seal was a little like an umbrella, opening up within the hole, barbs on the ribs digging into the metal, holding it in place.

From inside the Angel she sprayed a can of sealant down over the plug. The foam hardened almost instantly, forming a steel strong, airtight seal. Once she had it well covered she tested the seal. Satisfied it would hold she depressurized the boarding tube and retracted it back into the Angel.

That done she went to find Yuri. Kei found her in the arms locker with Tamikia. They were putting away the weapons, properly storing all the energy cells and ammunition.

"Going to be long with that?" Kei asked.

"Not too long," Yuri told her. "Little after action maintenance. Should take a few minutes."

"What are we going to do with that?" Kei asked, indicating the braincase resting on the workbench."

"Bake it up?" Yuri said.

"Ugh. I hate French cooking."

"You can always let me deal with him," Tamikia said.

Kei smiled. She liked that idea. "I'll get the Angel fired up and go and get the kids and Mughi."

"You might as well go and wait in the pod bay," Yuri told Tamikia.

"Thank you," Tamikia said, putting aside the work she had bee doing and leaving the arms locker.

Kei turned and headed up to the cockpit and settled herself into the pilot's station. She brought the Angel's engines up and disconnected the Angel from the larger ship.

"Lovely Angel to prize ship Vengeful Redhead, cutting off," she said into the com.

"Understood Lovely Angel. Take care."

"Will do," Kei said. She tapped the directional thrusters lightly, moving the Angel some distance from the others ship. Then she brought up the main thrusters and sped away.

Kei switched frequencies on the com. "Hey Mughi," Kei called into the com. "You out there? Fire up your signal beacon and show me where you are. Here are the authentication codes."

A moment later one of the secondary screens flickered to life. Mughi's head filled the screen and made a sound somewhere between a growl and a meow.

"Good to see you too," Kei said.

The cat was pushed aside, replaced by Catherine, looking into the camera.

"Are you all right? Where's mom? What happened?"

"Everyone and everything is alright," Kei said as she locked onto the pod's beacon and sent the Lovely Angel speeding towards it. "We'll be with you in a minute. Sit tight and relax. Everything is good." Kei smiled.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_Of course we give them a hard time. It's our job._

-Comment made by an unknown reporter when about treatment of the Lovely Angels by the press

The Angel spun about its central axis as it slowly descended. Kei watched the instruments, making certain the ship was lined up with the docking bay.

"Are you sure the landing gear is going to hold?" Yuri asked, not for the first time.

"Of course I'm sure. Kind of. Almost. Reasonably so at least."

"I feel so safe," Tamikia said over ship's com. She was in the ready room with her children.

"Bitch, bitch, bitch. Is that all you can do?"

"I can also ruin careers."

"True," Kei agreed. "Brace for landing."

"Brace?" Yuri asked.

The ship settled down onto the landing pad. Almost before the landing gear had touched ground, service robots came up and started to insert power feeds and grounds into the Angel.

"Told you the landing..." Kei was interrupted by a shrill alarm and the collapse of the ship's forward landing strut. Everyone was thrown forward. Yuri's head hit the console. "...gear would hold." Kei finished lamely.

"I thin I readdy bode by dose dis time," Yuri said.

"Let me see." Kei said as she gently grasped Yuri by the chin and turned her face so she could see. "Yep, it's broken. When you get it set you can get another nose job, have a little more taken off," Kei said brightly.

"I hab never hab a dose job before," Yuri said angrily. "Dis is your fault."

"My fault? You are the one that has to learn to wear your restraint belts tighter."

"Dey chafe."

"Poor baby," Kei said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Go to hell." Yuri pulled a small medkit from one of her belt pouches and began to wipe away the blood. It was painful but she was reasonably sure it was not too bad

"Uh oh, we got press."

Great, Yuri thought. Not only would the jackals be writing stories that would make them look bad, all the pictures of her would show her with a broken nose.

"Let's go and face the vultures," Kei said, resigned to it.

* * *

There were quite a few reporters and camera crews around the landing area, as well as idiot-spectators who just wanted to see what was going on.

With Mughi in the lead they cut through the crowd with surprising ease.

Questions were yelled from the throng but Kei and Yuri had plenty of practice in ignoring the press.

They were almost at the limousine when one of the reporters directed a question at Tamikia. "Miss Jinnas, could we have a statement?"

"About what?" Tamikia slid Susanne, who was still sedated, into the limo. Then she turned around to face the reporters.

Kei wanted to scream at Tamikia for acknowledging the reporter. The press had got their hooks into her.

"What about the allegedly destroyed ship?" A woman in the back of the crowd called up.

"And all the deaths reported?" the first reporter, a short man, yelled out.

"What about the rumour that this was arranged with the destroyed ship a bait in a trap." A tall, golden-eyed, androgynous type asked loudly.

That was so close to the truth that Kei wondered who his, her or its contact was.

"How were the Dirty Pair involved in this," the short man called loudly, obviously taking a calculated risk.

Both Kei and Yuri turned in unison to stare at the man. He looked very nervous and Kei was certain if she took a step towards him he would bolt. She kept a tight reign on her anger and was certain that Yuri was doing likewise. There were too many cameras and reporters for them to beat the little toad into paste.

Kei did memorize his face though, and if she ever ran into him again he would be very sorry.

"I'll arrange for a press conference later," Tamikia said as she ushered Catherine into the limousine. "As for now I have no comment, except to say it wasn't their fault."

It was not the answer the press wanted. They exploded into a verbal flood that Tamikia ignored. She climbed into the limo. Yuri and Kei smiled at each other as they climbed in, Mughi right behind them.

The limo rose up on its effect fields, and then drove off, leaving an enraged press behind.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Angels don't die, they just fall from grace._

Yuri took a gulp of her martini and felt the alcohol burn down her throat. Her teeth were numb.

"Your eyes are beautiful," the man on the seat beside her said. Tall, red hair worn short, brown eyes, dark complexion, handsome, and a tailor made three-piece suit.

"Thank you," Yuri responded, hiding the elation she felt at the compliment. It had only been two days since the 3WA med techs had replaced her eye. She liked having predatory vision back.

"Another drink for the lady," he called to the bartender.

Six, Yuri thought as she put her empty glass on the bar. Quite a few drinks to buy some one. She had not encouraged any of in. The curse of fatal beauty she thought.

Her martinis were expensive, premium vodka and vermouth. He likely wanted her to get drunk. He was not going to have much luck with that. She had taken a time-release, 'Buzz-B-Gone' tablet earlier. She was pleasantly drunk, but not so much it impaired her thinking.

"Romeo. Hit your thrusters," Kei told the man as she came up behind Yuri.

He turned to look at Kei. Yuri saw the way he tensed his body, and he moved a little closer to her. How possessive, she thought, not really caring.

"Not meaning to be rude but perhaps you should leave," he told her. "The lady has no interest in your company."

Kei smiled the smile she always had before taking the piss out of someone. Deciding she did not want to be in the middle of a 'Keifuffle', Yuri dumped her fresh drink into his lap. A waste of a perfectly good martini she thought.

He leapt to his feet, almost upsetting the stool. "What the hell?" He tried to brush the liquid from his lap.

"Perhaps you should go," Yuri told him as she placed the empty glass on the bar.

"You're crazy," he said angrily.

"Tell me about it."

He stormed off.

"Bye lover boy," Kei said as she took the vacated stool. Fortunately all of Yuri's drink had been absorbed by the man's pants, so the seat was dry. "He'll be spreading rumours in a few minutes," Kei told Yuri.

"Big deal." Yuri signalled the bartender for another drink.

"The Central Computer has cleared us fully. I just got the report. There was no way we could have expected Melkar to have access to such a powerful ship, direct quote."

"No big surprise." Yuri took a sip of her new drink.

"How many have you had?"

"Forget. Not many."

"You didn't honestly expect Vincent to stay did you? He's a true starship Captain. As soon as Tamikia offered him a new command he had to go. A ship will always be first in his heart."

"That makes me feel soooo much better Kei." Yuri sulked.

"Oh come off it, your acting like a child. More so than usual. If he had not left you would have left him. Neither of you had careers that are conducive to a long term relationship."

"Stop trying to cheer me up."

"Tamikia sent me word. She's got UG clearance to form a strike force to take out all of Melkar's holdings no matter where they are. A new form of corporate takeover I suppose."

"Sounds like she'll have fun." Yuri fished the olive out of her drink and ate it.

"Told me Catherine is heading off to school and if I gave her any bad advice she'd kill me."

"You'd deserve it." Yuri tossed back her drink.

"Come on." Kei stood and helped Yuri to her feet.

"Where to?" Yuri asked, she felt unsteady and considered removing her high heels before she realized she had taken them off earlier.

"First a walk to sober you up a bit." Kei tossed some universal credits on the bar and hoped they would cover Yuri's bill as well as leaving a reasonable tip. "Then to this little pool place I heard of where you can hustle some idiots."

"Okay," Yuri said. It sounded reasonable to her. Of course Yuri thought nearly anything Kei said would sound reasonable to her at that point.

"Oh, and we have to pick up a small mammal for Mughi."

"He's not craving live meat again?" Yuri asked, feeling her stomach roll at the thought.

"Fraid so."

"Send him out after muggers."

"Next time."

"Kei."

"Yes."

"You're my best friend."

"Thank you."

"I'm only telling you this because there's a good chance I'm going to vomit all over you in the immediate future."

"Great," The redhead sighed.


End file.
